P-P-P-P-P-P-arking 101, or how to avoid 'combat parking'

Parking on campus the first couple weeks of school can be a little misleading to new students and returning staff. It would appear that there are not enough spaces to go around, that there are more cars on campus than actual people, that EVERYBODY must drive alone to campus, and that the best way to find a spot is to follow folks out to their cars, sit with your blinker on and wait for them to back out.

Here are a few tips and tricks to battle the atmosphere of combat parking on campus:

1. Arrive Early. This may seem like obvious advice- but allow a little extra time to find a parking space if the first location you get to appears to be full. There are several lots that are 1-2 minutes further by walking that are rarely more than 90% full.
2. Order your parking permit and display it correctly. The last thing you want to deal with on the first day of school is a parking ticket. Avoid the stress, order your permit, and stick it to the window on the lower left driver’s side with the original adhesive. Don’t use tape, don’t put it in a pouch, don’t stick it on halfway or upside down, just stick it and forget it. If you need to transfer it between vehicles, it is designed to be removed and stuck again. The permit must be displayed on the vehicle that is parked on campus. Parking Services doesn’t have a way to know it’s “your car” and that you have a permit unless it’s displayed on the windshield.
3. Have a back-up transportation plan. You may decide to start or join a carpool using Zimride (zimride.uaa.alaska.edu). There are over 70 active carpool rides posted right now, check it out.  If your car doesn’t start, have an alternative way to campus figured out. Any student, staff or faculty can ride the People Mover buses for free by swiping your wolfcard as you board the bus. Know which routes service your area and how often they stop. There are 14 separate routes that go through the UMED district at some point during the day. Here's a handy link to the People Mover timetable page.

Watch for additional information that may save you time and money. There are many transportation programs offered at UAA, check out the parking website for additional information: www.uaa.alaska.edu/parking 

Glenna