UCI Parking and Transportation Services

Horrible! Absolutely horrible! I parked at AR after 5pm to attend a review session few quarters ago thinking that I will be fine. However, I still got a citation because apparently I parked in the enforced 24 hours spot. The signs were not clearly labeled. Just horrible experience with UCI parking and transportation.

Hell hath no fury like a UCI student scorned. Parking is the single worst thing about UCI and reason enough to not go here. Let me explain:
1) if you can’t afford to live in Irvine, be lucky enough to acquire subsidized student housing, or have a life situation such as a family or job in another part of the county, you will have to pay for parking.
2) to get a zone close to where you need to be, you need to shell out about $ 900 in advance to get a permit before they run out. Who has that kind of money lying around? Also, financial aid kicks in the day that classes start and most parking passes are already sold out by then.
3) if you can’t get a permit, but don’t know how long you’ll be on campus for, they clip you $ 10 a day ²⁴⁄₇. That’s $ 70 if you’re here all the time (don’t laugh, I am because I need the labs for my research). Don’t ever buy less than a daily because you’ll invariably end up needing to stay on campus and then get a $ 60! ticket for an invalid/​expired parking pass.
4) You still have to pay on the weekends (they check) so thanks for penalizing me for wanting to study on campus when the structure is empty.
5) Your blood pressure will go through the roof trying to navigate the SBSG Zone 5 structure. A motorized cacophony of people darting in and out of tiny spaces, speeding around tight corners, and taking every risk possible to get into an accident. Huge trucks park in corner spots to block your view. I want to put packing peanuts around my car and saran wrap them to the bumpers whenever I’m in there. Good thing the law school is close by, you’ll need a lawyer when you park there.
6) A «daily» pass is not 24 hours from the date of purchase. So if you come in at 8 pm after work, you still have to pay $ 10 which is good until 11:59 pm. Rip off!

Let’s be honest, getting a parking ticket sucks. Even if you deserve the ticket, which you probably do, the size of the fine never seems commensurate to the offense. The smarmy, self-​congratulatory lecture on the back of the citation about how your dollars will be helping to pay for UCI Parking and Transportation’s Green Initiative, and the threatening language in the nag notifications to pay your citation, add insult to injury. But, my recent experience requesting a citation review was an eye opening experience, and has improved my opinion of UCI Parking and Transportation.
I work in LA’s Westside area, which is legendary for high parking fines and the lack of an appeals process for parking citations (for which a lawsuit against LAPD was recently successful). UCI Parking and Transportation’s way of handling appeals was remarkably refreshing in comparison.
I hit the ARC early every morning for my first workout. A couple of weeks ago, while I was parked in a metered spot, I was late by ~20 minutes getting back to my car due to a lineup at the showers. I’d figured the risk was negligible, so got a nasty surprise when I found a $ 60 ticket on my windshield. Given the meters cost $ 1/​hour, the fine seemed excessive for being 20 minutes late.
This morning, I hit to
to appeal my citation. Looking up my citation was quick, and there was a simple form to fill out to explain my situation. Within an hour of submitting the form, I received an email with the following:
«After reviewing your request, citation number XXXXXXX has been cancelled as a warning.
Please be forewarned that any further citations issued for ‘No Valid Permit’ will not be voided. Please disregard any ‘Notice of Delinquency’ referencing this citation.»
Considering what it’s like trying to appeal a citation with LAPD, the ease of the appeal and the fast response bordered on magical. MAGICAL!!!
Additional information on the Citation Appeal process can be found on the UCI Parking and Transportation website.
Keep in mind that I believe my appeal was successful due to the following:
1. I admitted my culpability up front. I was guilty of having an expired meter permit. Rather than BS-​ing someone who has probably heard every excuse and self-​justification in the book, I stuck to a brief explanation of the facts.
2. I provided extenuating circumstances. I work out at the ARC every morning and usually have no problems completing my workout on time. I ran into some unexpected delays getting out to my car that morning, which was corroborated by the fact that I was a first time offender with no history of parking citations at the ARC. (They keep records.)
UCI Parking and Transportation had me dead to rights. What impressed me about them is not that they canceled my citation (although that certainly made my day). It’s how easy they’ve made it to contact them about, or appeal, a citation. Compared to what it’s like dealing with city police in the real world, or even what it was like parking on campus when I was a student, it’s night and day.
(I was an Anteater from 1998 – 2003. I lived on campus for the first few years and commuted from an Irvine apartment for the rest. I maintained alumni membership with the ARC and university library system after graduation, and am frequently on campus as an event attendee or a guest speaker.)

Because I do hate parking and transportation so much I want to share this story: The film students just about had it because we cannot load 50+lbs of equipment by ourselves without getting a ticket. Transportation rather have us break our backs heaving it to the bus stop or the nearest parking lot (student center). If we parked at the nearest possible area, it would take a roundtrip of an hour, versus something we can do in 5 mins right outside.
I come back in 5 mins to see a guy writing a citation. He said «too late, already wrote it.» BUT he spends another 5 minutes filling it out because, really, the liar only wrote the date. The least you can do is either let it go or help a struggling lady put the equipment in the car. So I ratted him out to Humanities, who told Transportation, and BAM. 1 month later we got ourselves a loading zone. Every day when I pass by someone is using it, proving that a lot of people needed this and no one will have to get a stupid ticket over it again.
So, the lesson here to learn is Parking and Transportation is NOT always right, only after the money, and YOU can definitely fight for it. That is all.

And so it continues.
Recently purchased a new car. The dealership is about 20 miles away, and I had to drive there to sign the papers. I made the honest mistake of using the pass from the day before, as I was in a hurry to get back for an important meeting. I got a ticket for $ 60 and explained the situation to the parking department. I told them to use one of the days from my sustainable transport account to cover the ticket in lieu of any further penalties.
I received this (shortened) response: «We see you have an account, but we’re charging you an administrative fee of $ 23 anyway because you didn’t have your permit properly displayed.» Is the parking department desperate for $ 23? If they are so desperate for that money, they shouldn’t be giving out sustainable transport passes in the first place.
I am 100% dissatisfied with my experience with this department. First, they made me pay $ 68 because they made an error in not giving people alternative places to park when the only close lot was blocked off for an event. Second, they made me pay $ 45 because due to a rear-​end collision, my license plate was moved from the front to the back, and they felt the need to punish me for the citation officer having to get out of his car to look at the plate. Now this. I wonder who’s taking all the money from the citations, because let’s be honest here: the road improvements they’ve been doing are not any substantial improvement over the previous roads. Fishy…

UCI parking is unpleasant and unfair to deal with. They frequently sell out lots and parking structures for events, forcing students to park elsewhere. Additionally, there is always a chance that you wont be able to find parking anyways, regardless of how much they force you to pay anyways. They claim its to advertise alternative methods of transportation. Alternative transportation methods are not the answer to UCI’s parking problem and its time that they make real change.

Fuck UCI transportation service, just a bunch of people trying to make as much profit from students as possible. With already really expensive tuition, we have to deal with expensive parking fees, random tickets that charge you tons of money for some random reason, and extremely limited parking spots. UCI students should protest for parking and transportation service, like how we protest for the rising tuition last year.

Got a ticket while I was waiting for state farm to come since my car wouldn’t start… I caught the guy who gave me the ticket and he said there was nothing he could do:(UCI parking organization SUCKS!!! Just a money hungry business!

Pricing goes up every year, at 10x faster than the typical annual inflation. Students suffered in the name of going green. Not everyone can afford an electric car, so why charge poor students driving Civics so that you can subsidize charging stations for people who could afford pricey Teslas, Priuses, Leafs with a price tag of at least $ 28k? This is a University, be REAL, don’t rob the poor and distribute to the rich. I demand the annual spending report be published and released to the public – the commoners who drive and pay unreasonably high parking rates, while struggling to find a parking spot.
There used to be a hidden knowledge that you could pay as little as $ 20/​month for parking only at the ARC structure. But now they don’t let you buy one because you are a UCI student so as far as Parking Services is concerned, you are a temporary (until graduation) cow to be milked out of money as much as possible. If GOING GREEN is an initiative, then the system should award people who’re willing to park at faraway structures and walk to school. Let those who can pay for parking closer pay and create an affordable way for those who can’t pay to park close park faraway. Such is the simplest HUMANE logic.
I may or may not write this as a satire.

University makes $ 1 million + a year but feels the need to charge us $ 100 a month to park on campus/​at our homes with restrictions to our parking. I transferred here and the rates were $ 20 a whole semester and $ 2 for a whole day. $ 15 gets your a day pass and $ 2 gets you an hour. Complete bullshit and monopoly if you ask me. Worse parking system ever.

They gave me a 69 dollar citation because I didn’t have a permit. I HAD A PERMIT. SHOWN SMACK DAB HANGING ON MY REARVIEW MIRROR.
Here’s the great part…
I caught the person to cited my car and showed them my permit.
«Oh I’m sorry I didn’t look closely»
«Well can you take it off? I don’t want to deal with emailing and having to PROVE my permit when you did your job wrong»
«Oh. sorry I can’t when it’s submitted, it’s submitted, you’re going to have to appeal.»
…rly
I fucking hate uci because of this shit.
It’s 300 dollars approx a quarter, I get tickets left and right (I’ve probably gotten close to 12 tickets) when my permit is there.
It’s a waste of my time and effort. The best part is when I appeal, sometimes it approves (Thank God…). Sometimes I have to pay for HALF the ticket, when it’s not my fault.

Money hungry criminals. I recieved a ticket for parking 20 minutes after my daily parking permit had expired. This parking lot was empty by the way, but the citation «officer» left a $ 60 fine anyway.
I received another ticket in another parking lot even when I had a valid parking permit. Thats another $ 60.
Now, add all the money I’ve spent on parking permits. Around $ 1,400 this year (Resident, daily, and summer commuter), and then add these tickets… I am very unhappy with these parking «services».

If I could give 0 stars I would. The parking permit I purchased for this MONTH alone is $ 85. $ 85. This is an increase from last quarter and the year before that. I’m a commuter student so I HAVE TO buy a permit. Public transpiration does not suffice nor does it exist for my route.
Their reasoning for the insanely expensive parking is that they’re trying to be «more green. Higher prices will compel students to carpool». HYFR! I can’t carpool with anybody because I have such a busy schedule. This isn’t a 9 – 5, we have students who come after work or work right after.
Apart from this is they’re ever so happy to pass out their citations. I got cited WHILE MY PERMIT WAS UP IN MY ZONE.
UCI is great but the number one thing I can’t wait to never have to deal with again will be this department. It’s not designed with the students in mind.

Whoever runs the parking at UCI needs to be replaced. I attend basketball games at UCI and the parking garage is a complete joke. The garage gets filled up and they have about 200 spaces available on the 1^st floor but they refuse to let anyone park there.
In addition I have a season pass for parking but they give you a sticker and if you come in a different car they charge you $ 10. It is the single reason I will not support UCI. Good job parking department

Among all the universities/​colleges that I’ve visited, UCI is the only one that charges parking during evening and weekends.
All they want is money.

Alright, maybe someone is looking at reviews because this week they actually put up Lot Full signs which helps a lot.

BOO UCI PARKING.
EXPENSIVE — about $ 67 a month?! But, you have no other choice (especially if you’re a commuter) but to pay the price.
Parking lot 16 (behind Science Library) — Why do you guys keep adding AR spots?! Trying to get more money out of poor college students?!
For any of the lots or structures, trying to find parking between 10 am and 3 pm is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Parking at UCI, or even near UCI requires you to have a permit, ²⁴⁄₇. If not, ticket.
Wanna park in a spot closer to your class because you’re running late? Ticket.
Wanna park at the Student Center structure to quickly get something from the bookstore? Ticket.
It’s like these parking demons have some sort of radar to track you down. So, beware, and park wisely (and with a permit).

Service is great. Helped me figure out an alternative solution to my hang tag problem. It would always fall off and my strategy of keeping the parking pass on a sheet of paper on my dashboard was resulting in tickets.
Alternative type of hang tag works much better, just don’t cover it up with your state park pass like I did or you will also get a ticket :(
Of course it’s expensive and they love to give out citations but it’s the state of California so what do you expect?

Parking at UCI and AROUND UCI is terrible.
Story 1: During lunch time, I left campus to go get lunch with a friend. I come back to Social Science Parking Structure to look for a spot. THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO SPOTS. I saw the same cars circling the structure like me probably 5−6+ times. 45 minutes later, no parking? Even on the top floor? How is that even possible? I ended up just dropping off my friend where he needed to be and decided to find a spot in the BioSci parking. Took me another 20 minutes just to find a spot FAR AWAY I might add & had to pay for an hour before it turned three so I could park there with my permit. Why am I paying so much for parking if I can’t even get any? THE PRICES EVEN INCREASED THIS QUARTER TOO! Goodness.
Story 2: For work, I had to drop off a lot of heavy stuff so they gave me a «day permit» which works in any unmarked spot and any lot. So I fill it out with the day of the week & the date, in my rush, I put the wrong date –_​_​_​– so I just cross off the 8 and put a 9 (the day of the week was right!) I come back and get TWO tickets: one for not having a permit and one for forging a permit. I also got a ticket the night before even though I DID HAVE A PERMIT AND IT WAS 9PM SO I COULD PARK ANYWHERE. So I had a total of $ 400+ in tickets. I tried to appeal it, didn’t work. I even brought in the permit to show them and the two guys at the desk agreed with me!
I also dislike VDC parking and such, they’re awful.
Hint: If you don’t have to have a car on campus for the first two years, don’t.
If I could give UCI parking less than one star, I would.

After suffering for years at the hands of these merciless tyrants, consider this review my revenge.
1. Parking at VDC. Wait, I have to pay hundreds of dollars extra to park where I’m already paying rent? I’ve lived in 3 different apartments since graduating and have yet to face this issue.
2. No free parking at the ARC. I have to pay to park at a gym where a portion of my tuition is already being funneled. BRILLIANT.
3. Contesting a parking ticket? Good luck with that. Better chance of curing cancer.
4. Need to leave your car unattended (with the emergency lights on) for a minute to drop something off? They’re waiting in the bushes.
5. They wanted to cancel the Newport shuttle. I don’t think this plan went through due to student outrage, but shame on them for even considering it.
6. The parking tickets aren’t even reasonable. How does a $ 60 fine sound?
7. The general parking situation just sucks. I was happy when I didn’t have to park on the top floor.
8. The parking «officers» are vindictive and definitely out to get you. Not sure if they have a quota or are just mean-​spirited people, but damn…
I can’t believe that I applied for a job here when I was a freshman. A year later, I received a phone call asking if I was still interested. About that…