Updates on commencement impacts

Sunday, June 16, 2019

7:23 AM—Hagar Drive is closed to traffic from the East Remote Parking Lot up to McLaughlin Drive. Additionally, Steinhart Way is closed to vehicles. A campus map is available online.

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Parking

As the campus prepares for the many commencement and year-end celebrations this weekend, TAPS would like to alert you to the impact this will have on traffic and parking. Please note that, due to the very dynamic nature of an event such as this, all information is subject to change without notice

Ceremonies begin Friday at 9:30am with the Graduate Division commencement on the East Field, followed by upwards of 20 college, departmental or organizational ceremonies throughout the weekend, with thousands of visitors needing on-campus parking.

Campus Access

As indicated, access to and from campus and parking availability will be greatly impacted beginning Friday by the thousands of visitors arriving to celebrate their graduates. To that end, it is strongly encouraged to avoid coming to campus on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Please consider coordinating with your supervisor to work off-site or from home on Friday, or consider using alternative transportation to get to campus.

Please click here for a map of what lots will be impacted on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday . Those with valid UCSC permits who are unable to find parking in their regular lot may park in the following locations:

Saturday June 15 and Sunday June 16

  • Kresge parking lots 143 and 145

  • College 10 Lots 164 and 165

TIP - If you have guests parking on campus this weekend, they should jot down, drop a pin on their app-based map, or otherwise make note of where they are parked.  This measure will help them find their car after the ceremony is over.

***The Parking Sales Office and Kiosk will be closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.***

Road Closures

Please be aware that both Hagar Drive, between the East Remote parking lot and McLaughlin Drive, and the entirety of Steinhart Way will be closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7am–5pm.

The Quarry Plaza parking lot will be closed all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you need to pick up your cap and gown, please plan accordingly.

Campus Loop Shuttles

Saturday 6/15/19 & Sunday 6/16/19 will be operating approximately every 20 minutes at both clockwise and counterclockwise shuttle stops from 7:50AM to 9:30PM.

METRO Buses

Friday, June 14 – Sunday, June 16, 2019, Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) buses on routes to and from the UCSC campus are fare-free, and run from Downtown Santa Cruz to campus; routes and schedules are available at www.scmtd.com.

Rideshare Services

Rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber will use Lot  116 at the base of campus throughout the weekend as their sole pick up and drop off location. Both providers will utilize geo-fencing to create a virtual perimeter in order to avoid road closures.

More information, including day-by-day maps showing parking impacts and road closures, is available online at http://taps.ucsc.edu/event-parking/commencement-parking.html.

 

Friday, June 13, 2019

11:40 AM—Campus police are dealing with a medical emergency near the base of campus, at Bay and High streets. Campus police, as well as Santa Cruz fire and police, are on scene. Traffic is slowing in the immediate area, but both the main entrance to campus, and the west entrance, farther up Empire Grade Road, are open, and traffic is flowing.

10:50 AM—The road work on Bay Street, not far from the main entrance to campus, has wrapped up. There are no traffic back-ups in the campus area at this time.

9:30 AM—There’s road work in the city of Santa Cruz, not far from campus, at Bay and Mission streets, and at Bay Street and Escalona Drive. Expect possible delays in both areas, with traffic congestion.

8:34 AM—The campus community should keep in mind that some parking lots are not available for regular parking. More information about transportation and parking impacts is below.