As the University of Georgia campus continues to grow, so does the demand for parking. In fact, the parking waitlist for students has risen sharply from approximately 1,000 students in fall 2019 to over 7,000 in 2024.
Several factors compound the parking strain. For example, new state-of-the-art academic, housing and athletic facilities have been built atop former parking lots, and options to replace those spaces in a central location are limited. Enrollment has also grown, and bus ridership is down.
Still, Transportation and Parking Services (TPS) continues to work diligently on ways to alleviate parking issues for faculty, staff and students.
“We’re in the midst of a perfect storm,” said Brett Jackson, associate vice president for Auxiliary Services. “Multiple factors have hit us virtually all at once and have driven the demand for parking to an all-time high. Rest assured that we will leave no stone unturned in our commitment to develop solutions that best serve our campus and its parking needs.”
Finding innovative solutions
Since 2018, over 3,700 parking spaces have been added to campus through funding provided by TPS for the construction of new parking decks, expansion of lots, leasing of parking lots and repurposing of unused tennis courts.
In the past year alone, TPS has added over 600 permitted spaces on campus in the new Tate Surface Lot, the East Side Park & Ride, the Club Sports Complex, Phase V of the College Station Park & Ride and expansion of parking at Veterinary Medicine on the main campus.
Updated parking improvements
Another 1,300 parking spaces are being added to campus and will be available by fall 2025. Most notable is the West Campus Parking Deck II, which will feature 1,097 spaces near the West Campus residence halls and the new West Campus Dining, Learning, and Well-being Center.
Other additions include the expansion of the College Station Park & Ride, the expansion of parking on the Health Sciences Campus and additional parking at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital on College Station.
Even with ongoing improvements and additions, TPS has kept parking rates the same for 16 years.
TPS continues to encourage the UGA community to make use of Campus Transit as another way to ease parking strain. Public transportation ridership has declined significantly across the nation since the COVID pandemic in 2020, dropping by 60%. At UGA, bus ridership has fallen by almost half.
“The continuing trend of declining public transportation ridership underscores the need for us to adapt and find innovative ways to encourage and support our community in utilizing sustainable and alternative transportation options,” said Todd Berven, director of TPS.
TPS is also exploring other opportunities, including partnering with an external consultant to review bus routes for potential improvements in service to periphery and remote portions of campus.
TPS will continue exploring new ways to improve transportation around campus for everyone. Additionally, small, cooperative steps can create a lasting impact on the parking experience at UGA. Carpooling with a spouse, coworker or neighbor; participating in initiatives like the Alternative Transportation Program; or utilizing alternative transportation options are all ways to help reduce the number of cars on campus.