FYI - Parking Questions Answered

All questions may be directed to Parking at 262-3528 or via e-mail

General Parking Questions Answered

1.  Why does the University charge for parking?
Because of state regulations, state monies may not be used for any parking purposes on campus.  This means that construction, improvement, and maintenance of all parking facilities at UCCS are financed solely through permit sales, parking fines, and the hourly visitor parking lot.  Annual revenues from parking must be sufficient to satisfy reasonable operating expenses and to repay revenue bonds sold to construct parking facilities.

2.  Do Faculty and Staff pay for parking or just students?
Everyone who parks at UCCS pays for that privilege.  For current rates please refer to Faculty/Staff Permit Prices.

3.  I see that there are some reserved spaces on campus.  Who are these spaces for and do they pay for parking?
Certain administrators (academic deans, Vice Chancellors and the Chancellor), may have a reserved parking space.  They not only pay for a parking permit but they pay a premium to have the reserved space.  Not all administrators opt for a reserved parking space.

4.  Why are parking permits for housing students more expensive than HUB permits?
On March 16, 2006, key members of the Department of Public Safety, Facility Services, Student Government, Residence Hall Association members (RHAs), and Residence Life and Housing met to discuss safety concerns expressed by housing residents in not having a shuttle system running to and from both Alpine and Summit villages.  A proposal was made describing how Public Safety could provide a shuttle system if housing residents agreed to fund the shuttle.  Student Government arranged to have a referendum placed on the ballot regarding this issue and in April of 2006 housing students were afforded the opportunity of approving or denying the proposal.  The proposed referendum stated that if housing residents would forego reducing their parking permit by the Safety and Transportation fee of $56.00, then the Department of Public Safety would use the fee to fund a 15-passenger shuttle to and from the housing areas during those times that housing students can not park on main campus.  The Referendum passed.  This is why housing students pay $194 per semester for a permit and commuter students pay $138 per semester.

5.  What do I need in order to purchase a parking permit?
Students will need to be registered for classes, have a valid photo ID, and have a way to pay for the permit.  Depending on the type of permit desired and the semester, online registration may be required.

NOTE:  If someone else is going to pick up a permit for you, they will need to bring your ID and a signed letter stating that you allow them to purchase your permit.

6.  If I am a student and I am waitlisted for a parking permit, what is my chance of actually purchasing a permit?
It depends.  Historically, Parking Services has never released more than 50 permits to the wait list except the Fall of 2006.  The permits are released numerically to wait listed students.

7.  What if I can't afford a HUB permit or I am on the wait list. Where can I park?
Students, faculty and staff who do not have a HUB permit may park at the Four Diamonds Parking Facility located at 5025 North Nevada Avenue.  A shuttle from Four Diamonds to the Science Building runs Monday-Friday.  The shuttle schedule for fall may be found through transportation services

8.  Do I have to pay to ride the bus or park at Four Diamonds?
Funding for the shuttle system is provided by the Student Safety and Transportation fee.  Students, faculty and staff must show their UCCS I.D. card to ride the bus for free.  No permit is required to park at Four Diamonds.

9.  Is there enough parking at Four Diamonds?
Yes!  There are approximately 500 spaces at Four Diamonds.

Parking Ticket Questions Answered

1.  What are the parking regulations?
A list of parking regulations can be found here.  A copy of the regulations can also be found in front of our office on the lower level of the Public Safety Building.

2.  How long do I have to file an appeal?
Tickets must be appealed within 10 business days from the date the citation was issued.

3.  What is the appeal procedure?
Please refer to the Appeal Form.  This form explains the procedure and conditions for appeals.

More information about the appeals process can be found here.

4.  What happens if I do not pay a ticket?
After the first ten business days have passed (from the date the citation was issued), you will lose the opportunity for your ticket to be reduced by $10 (if the ticket also has not been appealed).  If we can determine that a vehicle is owned by a student (or a student's parents), the ticket will be placed on that student's university account (payable at the Bursar's Office) after the 10 business days have passed.  This may prevent students from registering for classes (if they do not pay outstanding tickets on their account), and the Bursar's Office will follow their procedures to collect payment on those accounts.

Tickets that we can not identify as belonging to a student and have become delinquent will eventually be sent to Central Collections.  This will effect the credit record of the vehicle's registered owner.

NOTE:  Vehicles with outstanding tickets may be subject to being towed.

5.  I sold my vehicle; why has your office sent me a letter for an outstanding ticket?
Upon sale of a vehicle, you are required to remove your license plates.  If you fail to remove your license plates, you will still show up as the registered owner of that vehicle.  The person ultimately responsible for parking tickets is the registered owner of the vehicle.  We will require a copy of the bill of sale for the vehicle (signed and dated by both parties).  Feel free to contact our office for further information at (719)262-3528.

Parking Garage Questions Answered

1.  How did the University go about gathering input from students, faculty and staff regarding the building of a parking garage in 2002?
Meetings with faculty, staff and students to gather input on the proposal to raise permit prices were held in the fall of 2002.

1. The idea was first presented to the Transportation and Traffic Advisory Board on September 6, 2002.
2. A student focus group was held on November 1, 2002.  Student Government selected the students that participated in the focus group.
3. An open forum for the campus was held in the University Center on November 21, 2002.
4. The proposal was presented to Staff Council on December 11, 2002.
5. The proposal was presented to Faculty Assembly on December 13, 2002.
6. The proposal was presented to PESA on December 19, 2002.
7. The proposal came back to the Transportation and Traffic Advisory on March 7, 2003.

The Fall meetings were all held prior to an official program plan presented to the Regents of the University of Colorado in the spring of 2003.

2.  How did Parking Services advertise both that the rates would be increasing and the rationale behind the increased price for permits?

1. An article about the increase and the proposed construction of a parking garage was in the Silver and Gold on December 19, 2002 (page 4).
2. An advertisement was placed in the last issue of the spring semester in the Scribe.
3. A UCCS Communique article was done on June 19, 2003 (http://web.uccs.edu/ur/communique.htm).
4. A direct mailer to all students was done in June of 2003. This mailer was included with the students down payment information sent out by the Bursar office.

3.  Earlier, it was stated that faculty, staff and students had input into the decision to build a parking garage.  Did that input include the selected site for the garage?
Yes, specifically at the November 21, 2002 open forum the site for the proposed garage was discussed.

At the forum, there was overwhelming support for the selected site, which is commonly referred to as the Bennett site.  This is the area located immediately east of Columbine Hall.  The reason for the site location was its proximity to Columbine Hall, Engineering, El Pomar and the Housing Village.  Given that the campus master plan shows a future building in the parking lot located south of Engineering (Lot 5), parking in the area will go from minimal to non-existent.  The addition of the parking garage in this site was considered critical for the future.

This site was finally selected in the late spring of 2003 when a financial review of the construction project eliminated other potential sites (Lots 1 and 3) as too costly.

4.  Why did the university build two more decks to the existing parking garage?
The university built two more decks to the garage due to the anticipated loss of parking lot 5 (campus map).  Lot 5 is the site for the Science/Engineering Building.  It is anticipated construction of the building will begin in this lot around Fall 2006.  When this occurs, parking spaces will be lost.  Expanding the garage two more decks will return approximately 300 Hub parking spaces to the parking inventory.

5.  Did the Public Safety Office solicit any input from students, faculty or staff on the garage expansion?
The ability to expand the garage was initially discussed in the fall of 2003 and the spring of 2004 as the original garage was constructed.  At that time, focus groups and forums were held on campus as described in the answer to question number 7.  The decision to expand the garage in the future was made at that time as the garage had to be engineered to hold an additional two levels.  Additionally, in the fall of 2004, Public Safety administration met with student government on September 17, November 12, and December 3 to discuss an expansion of the garage and the permit fee increase.  On November 17, 2004 a focus group comprised primarily of faculty was held to discuss options to the loss of parking lot 5.  In late 2004, all governance groups were informed of the intent to add two more decks to the parking garage; December 3 (student government), December 7 (staff council), December 9 (PESA), and December 10 (Faculty Assembly).  On these dates it was announced that the anticipated increase to the parking fee would be $2.50 per month.

Definitions:

The HUB:  
The parking lots closest to the buildings (Lots 1, 3-7, 13, A-B, F, N, and levels 1, 2, and 4 of the Parking Garage);  the permit required to park in these is also refered to as the HUB parking permit.