2026 Parking Permit Price Increase Proposal

Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) is a self-supporting auxiliary enterprise funded entirely through user fees; no state funding or tuition revenues support parking or Transportation Demand Management (TDM)programs. Revenue generated from parking and program fees supports the full scope of parking services at UC Santa Cruz, including parking lot construction, maintenance, and operations, as well as a wide range of TDM programs to help satisfy the university’s sustainability goals. TDM programs include, but are not limited to: Bike Shuttle, Vanpool, Employee METRO Bus Pass, Safe Ride, bicycle safety initiatives and infrastructure improvements, BCycle, and our Traffic Control Program that facilitates safe pedestrian crossings at high-traffic campus intersections during class changes.

Since the last parking fee increase in FY19, inflation has averaged approximately 4% annually, peaking at levels not seen in the United States in nearly five decades. This equates to cumulative inflation of roughly 30% since that time. In contrast, TAPS gross revenues for FY25 were only ~ 7% higher than those in FY19—a modest increase likely attributable to heightened parking demand and operational efficiencies that have been implemented.

In 2021, the campus assumed responsibility for paying the debt service for the Core West garage so that long-term parking permit rates could be reduced to reduce costs for students and employees by 15 percent in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the central funds budget deficit faced by UCSC, TAPS has resumed responsibility for these debt service payments effective as of July 1, 2025. Additional costs to TAPS are anticipated to be approximately $5.2 million over the next six years. After not increasing parking permit rates for eight years, these additional costs contribute to  the need for a rate increase.

Recent outreach and feedback from the campus community has clearly demonstrated that the top three transportation priorities of the campus community are new sidewalks, new parking, and new bike paths. Parking rate increases will enable TAPS to begin building a reserve fund to support critical capital projects focused on these three priorities. However, these projects require building a substantial balance for upfront capital investment, as well as long-term financial commitments for ongoing debt service.

The proposed rate increases will also help bring UCSC parking rates more in line with those of other University of California campuses. The table below compares UCSC’s 2024 parking rates with those at peer institutions for equivalent levels of parking access and eligibility. As illustrated, UCSC’s rates remain significantly below the average across permit types. Moreover, many of these campuses are planning, or have implemented since the time of comparison, additional rate increases, further widening the disparity between UCSC and its peers.

In addition to the expenses traditionally covered by TAPS through parking and program revenues, the following are examples of new costs the department has assumed or will assume shortly, initially totaling approximately $5.2 million over the next six years.

• Effective FY25, TAPS has taken on full funding responsibility for Safe Ride.  Historically, this program has been centrally funded through UCSC Police, then Risk and Safety Services, but now by self-supporting TAPS.
  • This is an approximate magnitude of $150,000 in new annual expenses to TAPS and will increase each year.
• In 2021, the campus assumed responsibility for paying the debt service for the Core West garage so that long-term parking permit rates could be reduced to reduce costs for students and employees by 15 percent in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the central funds budget deficit faced by UCSC, TAPS has resumed responsibility for these debt service payments effective as of July 1, 2025. Additional costs to TAPS are anticipated to be approximately $5.2 million over the next six years. After not increasing parking permit rates for eight years, these additional costs contribute to  the need for a rate increase.
  • The remaining debt obligation is approximately $4.5M, to be paid over the next six years. 
• Effective FY26, TAPS will be taking on the full funding responsibility for affiliate BCycle Membership subsidies. Previously, these subsidies were co-funded equally by TAPS and central campus.
  • This is an approximate magnitude of $150,000 in new annual expenses to TAPS and will increase each year.
• Effective FY26, TAPS will be taking on additional administrative funding responsibilities which were historically centrally funded within Risk and Safety Services.
  • This is an approximate magnitude of $100,000 in new annual expenses to TAPS over the next three years.
• Effective FY27, the revised methodology for calculating the Consolidated Shared Services Assessment is anticipated to result in increased costs for TAPS.
  • This is anticipated to be an approximate magnitude of $100,000 in new annual expenses to TAPS and will increase each year. 
• Effective FY26, TAPS will be taking on operational and maintenance responsibilities for Family Student Housing parking area(s).
  • This is an approximate magnitude of $200,000 in new annual expenses to TAPS and will increase each year.
• In addition, TAPS is planning a range of capital improvements and strategic initiatives over the next decade to enhance both parking infrastructure/inventory and alternative transportation options.

The proposed rate increases will enable TAPS to begin building a reserve fund to support future critical capital projects, including new parking inventory and operational needs, in anticipation of a growing campus community. 

Completed and underway projects:

• Refurbishment and upgrade at West Remote Lot
• Campus traffic signals study
• Campus sidewalk study
• Expansion of Lot 116 at Lower Campus, anticipated to add over 150 new parking spaces
• Redesign and increase of parking inventory at Lots 111A at Crown and 119 at Merrill College

Projects with anticipated completion in the near future:

• Quick-build expansion of parking in East Remote Lot
• Redesign and increase of parking inventory at Lots 103A at AthRec and 139A at Engineering 2

Long-term Projects with anticipated completion in 5 or more years:

• Improved sidewalk network
• New Mobility Hubs designed to support transit, biking, and walking
• New bike paths and infrastructure

While there are many variables that would factor into the total cost of any project, including parking projects, we estimate that a new parking structure could cost upwards of approximately $100,000 per space, a new, paved surface parking lot would be approximately $50,000 per space, and a new, gravel surface parking lot would be approximately $10,000 per space. We would always look for efficiencies and ways to bring this price down. 

To put this into perspective:

• A new, gravel surface parking lot similar to Lot 206 at Coastal Science Campus could cost upwards of $1,000,000 to build.
• A new parking structure similar to Core West could currently cost upwards of $50 – $60 million dollars to build
• A new, paved surface lot similar to West Remote could currently cost upwards of $10 – $15 million dollars to build

Employee & Grad Student Permits

All prices below reflect an annual full-price permit. Limited-day, Academic-year, and quarterly permit prices will be prorated accordingly based on the full-price permit.

Undergrad Student Permits

All prices below reflect an academic year full-price permit. Quarterly permit prices will be prorated accordingly based on the full-price permit.

Staff & Faculty METRO Bus Passes

Faculty and staff bus pass subsidies are funded with parking fees and not supported by the student transit fee. This pass increase will be the first since 2018 and will offer a savings of 162% when compared to the Santa Cruz METRO  31-day bus pass rate of $65.

The legacy rate of $5.25 is significantly outdated and below the market value. This elimination also brings daily parking for employees in line with daily ParkMobile rates for UCSC students and employees.

This measure aims to more equitably distribute costs among all users, rather than placing the burden primarily on weekday users. This would not have an impact on long-term parkers (i.e., faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students who purchase Multiyear, Annual, Academic Year, or Quarterly permits).

Currently, non-affiliated individuals with valid ADA placards or plates may park for free in ADA spaces, Medical spaces, and ParkMobile spaces without additional payment. This is a legacy approach based on when UCSC featured coin-op parking meters, which were not always accessible. However, now that all permitting is virtual, this approach is obsolete. This is the standard at other UC campuses and is being recommended by the UCSC Office of Equity and Equal Protection.