For students who wish to park their vehicles to Grounds, they must purchase a permit from University Parking and Transportation or pay hourly rates in designated garages. According to University students interviewed by The Cavalier Daily, several expressed frustration with high parking prices on Grounds, as well as the difficulty in finding available parking in general.
For students and visitors who choose to pay parking rates rather than purchasing a permit, there are several parking options on Grounds.
At the Central Grounds Garage, the University’s main visitor parking location near Newcomb Hall, visitors are charged $3 an hour on the ParkMobile app Monday through Saturday. Parking at Central Grounds is free on Sundays.
ParkMobile is an app available nationwide allowing users to pay for, reserve and extend parking reservations from their phones.
Other ParkMobile locations on Grounds include Slaughter Recreation Center, Observatory Hill, Scott Stadium and John Paul Jones Arena. Parking at JPJ is free on weekends. At the Emmett/Ivy Garage, where permits are reserved for faculty and staff, some spaces are also open to the public 24/7 at standard hourly rates on ParkMobile.
In the previous academic year, ParkMobile parking was capped at a set daily rate no matter the duration of the stay. This academic year, however, vehicle owners are charged an hourly rate during the normal enforcement period from the time parked to the end of paid parking hours, and there is no daily cap. Paid parking hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and outside of these hours, parking is free.
Fourth-year Batten student Jess Drennan lives behind the Corner, and expressed frustration regarding the accessibility of parking on Grounds. She said that among the available parking lots, spots are limited and costly.
“For me, [driving and having to pay for parking] is not worth it or realistic every time I want to go to the library,” Drennan said. “Honestly, the number of spots themselves are pretty limited, with the exception being the Central Grounds Garage, but even that can get pretty full.”
Parking permits for students who live on or off Grounds can be purchased for the day or for the year — depending on location — either through the University’s parking portal or over the phone with Parking and Transportation. Permits for individual zones are designated for specific classes of people — students, faculty and staff, commuters and visitors.
Students may also purchase commuter parking permits in limited locations around John Paul Jones Arena and the School of Law for $456 annually. Spots are not assigned, and permit holders may be asked to move their vehicles for events such as sports games.
Students who live in University housing can purchase permits associated within residential areas, including at Lambeth Field Apartments, Bice House, Bond House, Ramazani House, Gaston House and Hereford Residential College.
However, at Bice House, Bond House, Ramazani House and Gaston House, parking is limited because of the resident to parking spot ratio, and students who would like to purchase a permit must enter a lottery to obtain parking. Students living at these locations are still eligible to purchase permits at other locations such as the Lambeth Field Apartments or behind Hereford Residential College.
University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover said that Bond and Bice House residents have access to 64 parking spaces on the upper level of parking underneath Bond, able to accommodate roughly 11 percent of the available beds in those two buildings. According to Glover, the Gaston and Ramazani houses have access to 32 parking spaces on the lower level of Gaston house, able to accommodate roughly 9.5 percent of available beds in those residences.
In a written statement to The Cavalier Daily, Grace Navangul, second-year College student and Gaston-Ramazani House resident, said that she tried to get a parking permit in her residential area through a lottery process but was unable to. She ultimately bought a parking permit for another location on Grounds.
“Parking on Grounds wasn’t difficult to navigate, per se, however it was simply dissatisfactory. I, along with many others, did not get a spot in the Gaston [House] garage,” Navingul wrote. “Being able to have a car on Grounds feels more like a chore than a benefit some days, simply because the entire process feels like it is more catered towards lining the University’s pockets than actually making personal transportation accessible.”
For students who wish to use mopeds and motorcycles, parking locations are more abundant than car parking locations. There are 22 moped-only parking locations, 17 moped and motorcycle parking locations and eight motorcycle-only parking locations around Grounds.
For students who do park on Grounds, however, failure to comply with University parking regulations results in consequences. Citations for parking violations can be issued in three tiers — levels one, two and three.
Level one violations are given for infractions of failing to pay for hourly parking and cost $55. Level two violations are given for a variety of reasons including parking in a prohibited area such as a painted curb or a loading zone or obstructing another vehicle, dump-site or driveway. These violations cost $65 upon issuance.
Level three violations include permit violations, such as sharing a permit or displaying a counterfeit permit, as well as parking in a disabled parking space or a fire lane. Level three violations cost $350 upon issuance. The University’s Department of Parking and Transportation or the Department of Police may immobilize or tow any vehicle violating parking regulations.
All violation tiers also incur a $45 late fee if not paid within 14 days of issuance. Additionally, any faculty, staff or students whose driving or parking privileges are impacted by a vehicle violating University Parking Regulations can request that the vehicle be immobilized or removed.
If the owner of a vehicle fails to pay two or more overdue citations, the vehicle will be booted by Parking and Transportation until both citations and the boot removal fee are paid. Parking and Transportation may also tow a vehicle with outstanding balances greater than $250 from Grounds at the expense of the owner. Parking tickets can be appealed within 14 days of ticket administration.
Third-year Engineering student Sara Elster said that she believes the University parking system is both excessively confusing and unfair to students. She said she only parks at gyms on Grounds — the Aquatic Fitness and Fitness Center and North Grounds Recreation Center — and parking at both has been a “nightmare.” She said at both gyms, she’s been ticketed $60 for being 20 minutes over her parking time.
“Since the moment I brought my car to Grounds last year, the U.Va. parking system has been a mystery to me,” Elster said. “The parking and ticketing situation at both is … incredibly unfair to students that already pay a lot to go to this school. I’ve been ticketed at both AFC and North Grounds … $60 both times, which is egregious for being parked overtime for 1/3 of an hour.”
First-year students are not permitted to bring their vehicles on Grounds, with exceptions being granted to students in extraordinary circumstances — including, but not limited to, medical conditions under Student Disability Access Center Accommodations, employment or athletics requirements.
Some students choose to organize or purchase off-Grounds and non-University affiliated parking. Second-year College student Mateo Irinchev said that he chose this option last year because it offered more convenience and was more cost-effective.
“I decided to park off-Grounds last year to have more autonomy,” Irinchev said. “Being able to go back home in Northern Virginia was also a great use of my car. The location I chose was specifically due to the nature of it being free, available and close.”
At the University’s most recent Board of Visitors meeting, Board members discussed the addition of a parking garage near North Grounds Recreation Center. The garage will include both annual, paid parking spots and temporary parking spots for students and visitors.
Charlotte Gabriel is a second-year Commerce and College student, and she serves as a staff writer on the news desk.
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