2019-2020 UCSC Campus Transit, Parking and METRO Bus Service

To: UC Santa Cruz Community

From: Dan Henderson, Director, Transportation and Parking Services

As our UC community gears up for the 2019-2020 academic year, below is some information regarding campus transportation options including Campus Transit, campus parking, and Santa Cruz METRO Bus service to and from UCSC.  

While we will always encourage everyone on campus to take advantage of our numerous walking and bicycle trails (click here to see bike path locations on campus and throughout Santa Cruz), we are pleased to continue on-campus shuttle service to our faculty, staff, students and visitors.  As of September 23, 2019, our Campus Transit and Bike Shuttle fall quarter service is underway.

UCSC Campus Transit is operating three on-campus routes: The Loop, Upper Campus and the Night CoreDue to student support of last spring’s successful Measure 73 Student Transit Fee campaign, we are happy to announce that TAPS has been able to maintain or increase UCSC Campus Transit services from last spring.  Of note, Upper Campus service once again has two, continuous, dedicated drivers during the AM and PM shifts, and we have been able to identify additional efficiencies leading to enhanced Night Core services which will result in more close-in services to the colleges. Please click here to view additional information regarding UCSC Campus Transit services for the fall quarter. 

Bike Shuttle - Service levels remain the same as last year, with two vehicles operating on 15 minute frequencies between 7:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.

East Remote PV Project - While we are nearing the conclusion of this exciting campus project, there will continue to be project-related parking impacts in the East Remote lot through the end of the calendar year.  TAPS always encourages the use of alternate transportation methods, such as JUMP bikes, Santa Cruz METRO Bus Service or Vanpooling / Ridesharing, and arriving early whenever possible.

Parkmobile - To most easily facilitate your metered parking needs on campus, download the ParkMobile app on your smartphone and register for an account.  Meters on campus do not accept coins.

Santa Cruz METRO Bus Service - All campus routes will be operating as of September 23, including school-term service. METRO buses will be operating at the same service levels to and from campus as last year. This includes the Route 22 bus operating weekdays between the Coastal Science Campus and the main campus along Western Drive. This year, up to four 60-foot articulated buses will be deployed onto campus routes to provide increased capacity during the regular school term.

If you choose to drive your car to campus, consider sharing your ride. Zimride, a ride-matching program that is exclusive to the UCSC community, makes it easy to find others who want to carpool to campus. By carpooling, you can reduce your carbon footprint and save on expenses, including the cost of a parking permit.

If you have a temporary need for a vehicle, check out Zipcar, UCSC's car-sharing partner. Those who are at least 18 years old are eligible to join Zipcar, and members can rent cars on an hourly or daily basis. Members have access to over 20 vehicles, both on and off campus.