2012 PARKING FORECAST

Parking and Transportation Services is advising all new and returning students, faculty and staff members to prepare for a challenging year.

Enrollment forecasts indicate the University of Houston is on track to exceed last year�s record enrollment. This increased enrollment, combined with the amount of construction on campus, including the new stadium garage and its impact on parking availability, will create a significant strain on the existing parking infrastructure.

PTS is forecasting that the parking lots on campus will be at maximum occupancy by 9am on most mornings, and will not have spaces available until after 3pm. Students arriving to campus after 9am should not expect to find a space readily available on the main campus. These students are urged to proceed directly to the parking lots at Energy Research Park (ERP) and utilize the campus shuttles as part of their parking plan.

When possible, PTS also encourages the use of METRO or carpools. Students with a student Q-Card receive a 50% discount on METRO fares. For $1.20/day, students can use local METRO service instead of their own vehicle, saving money on gas and a parking permit, and avoiding the search for a parking space. Students commuting in from suburban areas can also save 50% on METRO Park and Ride services. Additionally, carpools allow multiple students to share the cost of gas and a permit, and reduce the demand for parking spaces on campus.

Residents on campus can become members of the Connect by Hertz car sharing program for free and take advantage of $8/hour car rentals. Connect cars, available on campus at residence halls, provide students with the freedom of having their own car, without the financial burden of having a car on campus. And the affordable rates include gas and insurance.

PTS is working on both short-term and long-term solutions to increase the supply of, and decrease the demand for, parking on campus. To help accommodate the additional demand created by expected record enrollment and the loss of spaces due to construction, PTS has added 7 temporary lots for the 2012 academic year. The new lots are located at the intramural fields near lot 16D, along Leek Street between Anita and Dennis, and near Bayou Oaks. Two shuttle lots will be available at TSU for UH students with valid UH permits. These 7 lots will add over 1,000 additional student parking spaces. Construction is also underway on the next parking garage. Opening in summer 2012, the new stadium garage will provide over 2,300 additional parking spaces at Cullen/Holman.

Prior to the start of classes, PTS encourages all students to develop a parking plan for the upcoming academic year. Students should plan to arrive to campus no less than 1 hour prior to the scheduled start of classes, and be prepared to utilize shuttle lots. PTS maintains a link on the parking website to the UH Parking Lot Availability Map (PLAM). This map, updated by UHDPS, provides real time parking lot statistics for each lot on campus, allowing users to determine what lots do have availability. Using this tool, along with the Cougar Line shuttle service, provides students with the best solution for finding a parking space and arriving to class on time.

All students are required to display a valid UH parking permit when parked on campus. Students are urged to register early so that they will receive their permit prior to the August 22 start of classes. In order to ensure that students with a valid permit have the widest selection of available spaces, all students will need to display a permit beginning on the first day of classes.

For more information on permits, parking and alternative transportation options, visit www.uh.edu/parking.