Transportation Services Raises Visitor Parking Rates Due To Budget Deficit

The UCSD Transportation Services Department announced this week that the visitor parking rate will increase from $2 to $3 an hour starting August 6, due to a budget deficit created by more than a decade without increasing rates.

On July 31, the Office of Transportation Services sent out an email announcing the change, which was also posted on social media.

According to the email: “The rate change will support our investments in new parking facilities and technology to improve the customer experience, and will help sustain funding for our transportation demand management programs, including campus shuttles, transit programs, ridesharing, and bicycle programs.”

For students that use visitor parking to park for short periods of time, Transportation Services Director Josh Kavanagh says there are $4 daily student parking permits that can be purchased online and printed out. Students that use the ParkMobile app at the Glider Port Lot can also purchase day permits for $3 a day. The increase will not apply to those using the ParkMobile app until September.

Kavanagh says Transportation Services did not test the increase in its Virtual Town Hall because of conflicting timelines with the department’s budget process.

“Increasing pay station rates helps us mitigate the impact on monthly and annual permit rates and share the cost of parking development across the broadest possible customer base,” Kavanagh said.

Ethan Coston is an Assistant News Editor for The Triton. You can follow him @Ethan4Books