Effective December 31, 2025, some TAPS Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs and non-affiliate Parking Permit rates will increase in order to help offset additional costs and programs recently taken on by TAPS and to ensure TAPS is able to continue improving campus transportation and parking, while continuing to operate without entering a deficit. There will also be annual increases to each affected rate in order to keep up with inflation, as well as achieve program goals and objectives.
Parking Permit rates for affiliates are not impacted by these increases; permit prices for students, staff, and faculty will remain at their current rates.
TAPS has not increased permit or program prices since 2018. Additionally, employee and student long-term parking permit rates were reduced by 15% in 2021, which was fiscally feasible for TAPS because the central campus subsidized the decrease by assuming the remaining debt service for the Core West Parking Structure. Due to ongoing budget deficits faced by both UCSC and the State of California, the subsidy has been discontinued, and the debt service returned to TAPS effective July 1, 2025. Also since then, TAPS has taken on additional administration and costs of programs previously administered by other units, such as Safe Ride.
The affected programs include Non-affiliate daily parking (“A” permits and ParkMobile), Carpool Program, Vanpool Program, Contractor & Vendor permits, Event permits & services, and Food Truck permits. See details regarding each program below.
If you have any questions regarding program increases, please email taps@ucsc.edu or request a meeting with us.
Non-Affiliate Daily Parking (“A” Permits and ParkMobile)
To prioritize access for students, staff, and faculty, non-affiliates will be subject to higher parking rates. This approach is intended to both manage demand and ensure that the financial burden of campus parking is more appropriately borne by non-affiliated users who choose to pay for parking on university grounds. As part of this roll-out, daily permit prices for non-affiliates will increase as follows:
Current Pricing
$2.50/hour or $10 daily
ParkMobile Pricing Effective 12/31/2025
$5.00/hour, or $20 daily (plus, $0.45 transaction fee per session).
This rate is set lower than the non-affiliate Daily “A” Permit due to its limited eligibility in designated parking areas only.
Daily “A” Pricing Effective 12/31/2025
$5.50/hour, or $22 daily
Annual increase schedule
10% increase annually beginning 7/1/2026 through 7/1/2030
6% increase annually beginning 7/1/2031 through 7/1/2035
5% increase each July 1st annually thereafter
Daily permit prices for staff, faculty, and students will not increase; however, effective December 31, 2025, affiliates must use a UCSC email address for ParkMobile in order to receive affiliate pricing in ParkMobile spaces. Refunds will not be granted if ParkMobile spaces are paid without a UCSC email address on the account.
Carpool Program
This program increase brings Carpool Program fees in line with current long-term affiliate permit prices, while still providing a convenience and financial benefit to carpooling to and from UCSC. Carpool program costs are divided among the number of participants in the carpool.
For the new “A” Carpool Program pricing, 2 people would be $41.25/month each, 3 people would be $27.50/month each, and 4 people would be $20.63/month. All are less expensive per person than the current stand-alone “A” Parking Permit cost of $63.76/month.
For new “R” Carpool pricing, 2 people would be $24.75/month, 3 people would be $16.50/month, 4 people would be $12.38/month. All are less expensive per person than the stand-alone “R” Parking Permit ($42.08/month)
Current Pricing:
“A” Carpool: $658.80 annually ($54.60/month)
“R” Carpool: $504.90 ($42.08/month)
“A” Carpool increase effective 12/31/2025
$990 annually ($82.50/month)
“A” Carpool annual increase schedule
10% increase annually beginning 7/1/2027 through 7/1/2030
6% increase annually beginning 7/1/2031 through 7/1/2035
5% increase each July 1st annually thereafter
“R” Carpool increase effective 12/31/2025
$594 annually ($49.50/month)
“R” Carpool annual increase schedule:
7% increase beginning 7/1/2027 through 7/1/2030
6% increase annually beginning 7/1/2031 through 7/1/2035
5% increase each July 1st annually thereafter
Vanpool Program
While a 50% subsidy target has been the goal, Vanpool program subsidies have been between 60% and 80% of the cost of the program in recent years. Many of the vans in the program are aging and need to be replaced, and raising rates helps us to meet UCOP and UCSC’s sustainability benchmarks as well as replace aging vehicles.
AAA estimates the cost of driving an internal combustion engine vehicle at $0.82/mile for a mid-size sedan in 2025. Considering the mileage for each zone (see estimates below), riding in a UCSC vanpool still provides significant savings vs. driving a car alone (these estimates do not include the additional $63.76 per month that you save by not purchasing an “A” Parking Permit).
Current Pricing
- Zone D (more than 75 miles daily): $118 monthly/participant
- Zone C (67-75 miles daily): $94 monthly/participant
- Zone B (41-60 miles daily): $89 monthly/participant
- Zone A (up to 40 miles daily): $63 monthly/participant
New Pricing effective 12/31/2025
- Zone E (NEW; 101-180 miles daily): $362.50 monthly/participant
Cost of driving alone is ~$3,100/month
180 miles daily will be the maximum distance for any TAPS-subsidized vanpool - Zone D (81-100 miles daily): $209.44 monthly/participant
Cost of driving alone is ~$1,700/month - Zone C (61-80 miles daily): $167.56 monthly/participant
Cost of driving alone is ~$1,350/month - Zone B (41 to 60 miles daily) : $125.67 monthly/participant
Cost of driving alone is ~$1,000 - Zone A (up to 40 miles daily): $83.78 monthly/participant
Cost of driving alone is ~$650/month
Vanpool annual increase schedule
10% increase annually beginning 7/1/2027 through 7/1/2030
6% increase annually beginning 7/1/2031 through 7/1/2035
5% increase each July 1st annually thereafter
If you’d like to continue enjoying the savings and community of the vanpool program, no action is needed. You will see your vanpool deduction increase on your next paystub after December 31, 2025. Vanpool drivers will still receive additional subsidies. If you wish to inquire about becoming a driver, or if you want to exit the program, please send a notification to vanpool-group@ucsc.edu by December 15, 2025.
Contractors & Vendors
This roll-out will affect contractor and vendor permits as follows:
Current Pricing:
$12, $10, $9, or $5 daily depending on day, time and/or location
Pricing effective 12/31/2025:
$13.20, $11, $9.90, or $5.50, respectively.
Annual increase schedule:
10% increase annually beginning 7/1/2027 through 7/1/2030
6% increase annually beginning 7/1/2031 through 7/1/2035
5% increase each July 1st annually thereafter
Event Permits & Services
Similar to non-affiliate daily parking, to better prioritize access for students, staff and faculty, event attendees will be subject to higher parking rates. Event parking and services should not be subsidized by non-event parking revenue. These new rates will best ensure that this does not occur.
Current Event Parking Permit Pricing:
$10, $6, $or $5 depending on day, time, and/or location.
Event Parking Permit Pricing Effective 12/31/2025:
$22, $13, or $11, respectively
Event Permit annual increase schedule
10% increase annually beginning 7/1/2026 through 7/1/2030
6% increase annually beginning 7/1/2031 through 7/1/2035
5% increase each July 1st annually thereafter
Event Services annual increase schedule
Event services vary in pricing and include signage, permit sales attendants, traffic control attendants, and supplies/equipment
10% increase effective 12/31/2025
10% increase annually beginning 7/1/2026 through 7/1/2030
6% increase annually beginning 7/1/2031 through 7/1/2035
5% increase each July 1st annually thereafter
Food Truck Permits
The current Food Truck rate has become outdated and significantly below market value. This is primarily a formalization and codification of the rate that Food Truck vendors are currently already paying, and brings the rate in line with the cost of Contractor Out-of-space Staging permits.
Current Pricing:
$1.58 daily
Pricing effective 12/31/2025:
$5.50 daily
Food Truck Permit annual increase schedule:
10% increase annually beginning 7/1/2027 through 7/1/2030
6% increase annually beginning 7/1/2031 through 7/1/2035
5% increase each July 1st annually thereafter