As the year 2020 comes to a close and you begin to think about your potential plans to travel or commute to campus in the 2021 winter and spring quarters, TAPS would like to remind you about our available parking and sustainable transportation programs.
For Faculty and Staff:
Eligible faculty and staff may purchase an A permit valid in most close-in parking lots on campus. A permits can be purchased for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 days per week. Eligible faculty and staff may also purchase R permits valid only in the East and West Remote lots.
We have increased the time when Night (N) Permits are valid to be used on campus. Now, N permits now provide employees, graduate students, guests and visitors access to any campus N parking lots after 3:00 p.m.
Faculty and staff making occasional trips to campus may purchase daily scratch-off A permits in packs of 10. Scratch-off permits currently available for purchase are final sale only, and are not eligible for returns, exchanges, or extensions, so make sure you only purchase the amount you need. NOTE: due to the unexpected onset of COVID, scratch-off permits that expire 12/31/2020 may be eligible to exchange for permits with a later expiration date. Please email tapssales@ucsc.edu for more details.
You can find a list of all parking options available to faculty and staff on the TAPS website.
For Students
R Permits: TAPS has extended the suspension of the freshman/sophomore parking prohibition through Winter 2021. All residential freshmen and sophomores may purchase weekly, monthly, or quarterly R permits through the Winter quarter. You may apply for a parking permit on the TAPS website.
Close-in Permits: TAPS has also extended the COVID-related appeal through Winter 2021. Any students who are part of a high risk group, or care for someone who is, may fill out an appeal to purchase a close-in B permit for Winter quarter only.
Short Term Parking Options
Faculty, Staff and Students also have a number of short term parking options available.
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ParkMobile is available throughout campus to pay for parking via the ParkMobile smartphone app in designated spaces available for 30-minutes, 2 hours, or for the full day.
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Paystation spaces are also available for 1- to 3-hour weekday parking as well as flat-rate parking on evenings and weekends.
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Daily A Permits may also be purchased at the TAPS Sales Kiosk near the main entrance on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sustainable Transportation
TAPS encourages you to rethink your commute and travel to campus sustainably. Even one day per week makes a big difference.
BIKING: TAPS offers several bike programs, including free virtual classes, periodic helmet and light distributions and mechanic checks to keep your bike safe.
TRANSIT: Employees and students may ride campus shuttles free of charge. Students can use their student ID to ride METRO buses fare-free throughout Santa Cruz County, and employees may purchase a discounted METRO bus pass for only $16 per month. Both TAPS and METRO are carefully following CDC guidelines to ensure safety, including but not limited to: frequent sanitizing, passenger limits, and increased ventilation.
CARPOOL: If members of your household also travel to campus regularly, consider applying for a carpool parking permit. Please be sure all riders adhere to safety precautions when sharing a vehicle.
VANPOOL: UCSC Vanpools are still operating with routes from South County and Monterey. Vanpool vehicles are sanitized frequently, passenger numbers have been reduced, and seating is spaced out to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Contact the Vanpool Office to see if there are any routes in your area.
If you have transportation questions that this email doesn't answer, please see our website at taps.ucsc.edu, or feel free to contact us at taps@ucsc.edu. Keep up to date with TAPS and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Happy Traveling, Slugs!
