Frequently Asked Questions

There are many options for parking on and around the UW Tacoma campus:

• Street parking: managed by the City of Tacoma and includes both free options and paid hourly options. Street parking can be purchased using the Flowbird app.
• Campus hourly parking lots: Hourly parking is available in TPS, Tioga, Cragle, and Pinkerton North lots. Whitney lot allows hourly parking after 3:30 pm. There is limited daytime hourly parking in the Court 17 parking garage (requires Husky Card for access), but all stalls are available for hourly parking after 3:30 pm. Campus hourly parking is paid using the PayByPhone app.
• Campus parking permits: Quarterly parking permits are available for specific on and off-campus parking lots. Permits go on sale 1 week before the quarter starts and often sell out quickly. Evening permits and half-week permits (either M/W/F or T/Th/F) typically do not sell as fast.
• Tacoma Dome Station: This is a great free option for folks who are eligible for the U-PASS benefits! Park at one of the Tacoma Dome station parking garages and take the Link light rail over to campus.

Short answer - yes.

Long answer - Yes, parking on campus is safe, but there is always some amount of risk - just like any other city. We do our best to keep our Husky community safe:

• Campus Safety officers patrol the parking lots and streets as a proactive measure and deterrent.
• Tacoma police make occasional patrols through the campus and surrounding areas.
• UW Tacoma partners with Safety Escorts that will walk you to your car.

There are things you can do as well to reduce the chance that your vehicle will be targeted:

• Do not leave anything of value (or, preferably, anything at all) visible in an unoccupied car.
• Make your car as unattractive as possible to thieves, either with an alarm or an anti-theft device such as a steering wheel lock. 
• Do not leave your car on campus overnight (we do not allow overnight parking, anyway!)
• Park in a well-lit area.
  
   

Get all of the Parking Permit details on our website here. Permits go on sale one week before the quarter starts and are purchased through the Parking Portal.

UW Tacoma is an urban campus located in the heart of downtown Tacoma. Because of our location, there is a high demand for parking and there are few opportunities for free parking.

Most street parking around campus is metered with a maximum time limit of 90 minutes. Those areas not metered generally have 90-minute maximum parking restrictions. The City of Tacoma heavily enforces these restrictions and any citations will need to be addressed directly with the city.

The Cragle and Pinkerton North lots are free on Sundays and holidays.

The Tacoma Dome Station parking garage is free for all commuters and is located right on the T-Line. Campus is just two stops away. Your fare is free with a U-PASS! (Check U-PASS eligibility here)

 View a map of UW Tacoma parking lots and more information on each lot, including rates, here.

Court 17 Parking Garage is now a secure garage and is only available for UW Tacoma students and employees with active Husky ID Cards. All other hourly parking lots on campus are available for public use.

Click on the lot name for more information on each location. Please note that while Court 17 garage does allow hourly parking in the evenings, it is a secure garage and is not publicly accessible.

Parking permits purchased via the online purchasing tool for community partnered lots will be mailed to the shipping address provided within 5 business days.

We are unable to offer a pick-up option at this time. Please print your receipt of purchase and place it on your dashboard, clearly visible from outside the vehicle, if your permit has not arrived by the start of the quarter. This will act as a temporary permit until yours arrives. 

On-campus lots use license plate recognition and do not require a physical pass.

Daily passes are valid from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Evening passes are valid from 3:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For Court 17 Parking Garage, students who are not Court 17 residents can only access the garage during regular building access hours.

No. Users must pay using PayByPhone or have a valid permit linked to their license plate. City of Tacoma street parking is free after 8:00 pm.

That happens occasionally during periods of peak demand such as the beginning of the academic quarter (especially in autumn) and around lunch time. Demand generally decreases after the first two weeks of the quarter. If you are arriving on campus during times of peak demand, you may want to arrive early to allow extra time to find parking, or if the lot is full, park your car in an area with free street parking (such as on Market or Fawcett) temporarily, and move your car into the permit lot once spots open up (just remember to abide by the free-parking time limits!).

Yes!

· The Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center offers half- and full-day parking for $5.00 (0-4 hours) and $10.00 (4 or more hours).

· The Washington State History Museum offers monthly and quarterly parking.

· You can also download a list of private lots close to campus and/or close to the Link light rail.

Yes. The City of Tacoma Parking Program manages and enforces all on-street parking around the UW Tacoma campus. Look for sign postage for on street parking guidelines.

Metered on-street parking around campus costs $1.50 per hour. The minimum purchase is $0.50.

Time limits for on-street parking around campus range from 90 minutes to 3 hours.

No. The two-hour time limit is strictly enforced by the City of Tacoma. Vehicles parked for more than two hours in the same space are subject to ticketing.

That depends. Moving your vehicle between different spots on the same block to avoid time restrictions may be considered “chain parking” (see below) and is subject to a $50 fine under City of Tacoma municipal code.
If you move your car more than a block away, you should be good to go.

Chain parking is illegal and carries a $50 fine (see Tacoma Municipal Code 11.05.190). Chain parking is defined as moving a car from a metered and/or time-limited parking spot to another spot on the same block face to avoid getting a ticket.

All metered street parking is enforced and controlled by the City of Tacoma. Please contact the City of Tacoma directly to comment on the parking program.

If you have specific questions about parking on or around the UW Tacoma campus, please contact Transportation Services at transit@uw.edu or at 253-692-5926.

The document with the exact terms and conditions can be found below.

You can respond to a parking citation one of two ways:

• Paying the citation online or appealing in the parking portal.

• Please note that all appeals must be completed using the online parking portal, with no exceptions. Calling, emailing or walking into the Transportation Services office to make an appeal will not be accepted.

Parking citations that have not been paid or appealed within 20 calendar days will be assessed a $10 late payment fee and an official late payment notice will be issued. You may also lose the right to file an appeal.

In addition, your vehicle is subject to impoundment, immobilization or towing at the registered owner’s expense, if found on campus property and the registered owner becomes subject to action by a collection agency (additional fees will apply).

Learn more about how to Pay a UW Tacoma citation. 

Parking citations can be appealed by completing the appeal form on our online parking portal. Completed appeals must be received online within the 20-day response period to be reviewed.

Tips on appealing a parking citation:

· Explain your basis for appeal with as much detail as possible.

· Include any originals of documents or evidence such as parking permits, payment receipts, photographs, maps, letters or drawings.

· Keep a copy of the entire petition and any evidence for your records.

All appeal responses will be sent via email to your UW Email when an appeal is resolved in the parking portal. Once you have submitted your appeal, no further action is required on your behalf and your citation timeline is paused. In other words, you cannot accrue late fees while your citation is in petition status. Please note that appeals must be received within 20 calendar days of the citation’s issuance. If more than three weeks have passed without correspondence, you can email uwtcita@uw.edu to request a status update.

A vehicle found on UW Tacoma property can be impounded, immobilized or towed in cases of:

• Failure to pay fines, WAC 478-116-401
• Public Safety concerns, WAC 478-116-411
• Vehicle abandonment, WAC 478-116-421
• Forged Permits, WAC-478-116-184
• Obstructing Traffic, WAC-478-116-245
• Vehicle Reported Stolen, WAC 478-116-411
• Vehicle Constitutes Evidence/Contains Evidence, WAC 478-116-411

University of Washington Tacoma Policy on Vehicle Parking and Immobilization

Please contact the Campus Safety office at 253-692-4416 for instructions.

No. The extension of credit through the option of payment agreements or promissory notes for outstanding parking citations and related fees is not possible. All applicable charges must be paid in full to the Cashier’s Office by cash, money order, in the parking portal, or cashier’s check prior to receipt of your vehicle. We cannot accept personal checks.

If you believe that there is a true discrepancy, you should promptly notify your financial institution. The university does not have access to customer account information and cannot process refunds.

Learn all about the U-PASS here.

The U-PASS is a universal benefits for currently enrolled students, though there are a few exceptions. Read more about U-PASS eligibility for students. 

The U-PASS is automatically activated and subsidized for all permanent employees. 

Note for summer quarter: you must be enrolled for summer quarter in order to be eligible for the student U-PASS. Employee U-PASS is for permanent employees only. Contact your local transit agency in order to purchase a transit pass directly through them for the summer quarter, if those situations do not apply to you.

If you withdraw from all classes at the UW, your U-PASS will be deactivated and you may be eligible for a U-PASS fee credit on your student account based on when you withdrew.

The U-PASS terms of use outlines the terms and conditions associated with your participation in the U-PASS program.

Reading and agreeing to the U-PASS terms of use is a requirement for issuing the new U-PASS powered by ORCA. It is your responsibility to understand and abide by the information in the U-PASS terms of use.

No. All three UW campuses offer the U-PASS program and while they share similar characteristics — such as full bus fare for participants on six regional transit agencies, Sounder commuter rail and Link Light Rail — they are not identical. Each campus has different ways to fund their U-PASS program. Since each campus has unique needs and resources, the programming and price of the U-PASS varies. This is why you may see different U-PASS prices and benefits at each campus.

No. Your U-PASS is for your personal transportation only. It is non-transferable, meaning you may not give or sell your Husky Card or your U-PASS to any other person. Bus drivers and train fare inspectors can confiscate any Husky Card that does not belong to you.

Yes. One Regional Card for All (ORCA) is a collaborative regional fare system involving seven Western Washington public transportation agencies – Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Washington State Ferries. ORCA cards utilize smart card technology and serve as a single payment mechanism for participating agencies.

Your Husky Card card uses the same no-contact technology, so if you have an active U-PASS you only need to bring your card within a few inches of a reader for it to work.

UW moved to the ORCA pass at the start of autumn quarter 2011.

All transit pass programs in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties, including U-PASS, were required to transition to using the ORCA system for fare payment.

Yes. The Husky Card is not a standard ORCA card. In order to provide the convenience of a single card to all campus services, UW decided to include the smart chip inside your Husky ID Card instead of issuing standard ORCA cards. The transit portion of your U-PASS uses the ORCA system to process payment for transit, but does not provide access to the full range of ORCA program features.

To purchase a standard ORCA Card and take advantage of the E-purse, card registration, auto-load or other ORCA program features, please go to http://www.orcacard.com.

The smart chip is necessary for transitioning to the U-PASS powered by ORCA. All transit pass programs in the region, including the U-PASS program, are required to transition to utilizing the ORCA system for fare payment.

The smart chip is a short-range radio frequency identification (RFID) chip within the Husky Card that stores the U-PASS transit benefit and interacts with the ORCA system. The smart chip is programmed to only work with the ORCA system.

All current students, faculty and staff can get their Husky Card from the Office of the Registrar in Mattress Factory 253. Husky Cards must be picked up in person; they cannot be mailed. For more information, contact your academic advisor or supervisor.

No. Photos are required for all Husky Cards. Your picture helps protect your card from improper use if it is lost or stolen.

No. Punching a hole in the card may damage the smart chip or antenna.

The smart chip is like a small computer embedded inside your card. Do not bend, cut, wash or otherwise damage your card.

No. Smart chips are not magnetically encoded. Running a magnet over the chip or using a tap eraser will not affect the smart chip. However, a magnet will likely deactivate the magstripe used for campus services, so keep all magnets away from your Husky Card.

If you try to use your U-PASS on transit while your Husky Card is adjacent to a standard ORCA card or another card with smart chip technology, your U-PASS may not work properly. If this happens, hold your Husky Card separate from all other cards with smart chips when tapping it on the ORCA card reader.

If you were automatically enrolled in a UPASS, your card is already active! Just tap it on any ORCA card reader and you will hear a loud beep of confirmation.

Learn how to use your U-PASS here.

If you are registered for the upcoming quarter the U-PASS benefits should work during breaks.

No. InterCity Transit services are not covered by the U-PASS program, but that is okay because InterCity Transit is currently fare free!

No. The U-PASS in only valid for services provided by King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit and Everett Transit.

Yes. Washington State Ferries passes and PugetPasses can be loaded onto the Husky Card. Visit www.orcacard.com to learn more about loading a ferry pass onto your card.

If you choose to add a pass onto your Husky Card and your card is lost, stolen or damaged, neither the UW nor the ORCA agencies will replace those products. If you want to receive the benefits associated with ORCA card registration and/or the ability to replace ORCA products you’ve added if your card is lost, stolen, defective or damaged, please contact ORCA to purchase a standard ORCA Card: http://www.orcacard.com.

No. The Husky Card Debit Account cannot be used for transit services.

No. The E-Purse is not available on Husky Cards. To purchase a standard ORCA Card for E-purse usage, please go to http://www.orcacard.com.

No. For security purposes and confidentiality of travel data, Husky Cards cannot be registered within the ORCA system. The University of Washington made the decision to block card registration to protect your data.

The smart chip with your Husky Card may be permanently deactivated after you leave the UW. Any pass on the card will be lost when the chip is deactivated and will not be replaced by UW or the ORCA agencies. You can load passes onto your Husky Card at your own risk, but it is not recommended. To purchase a standard ORCA Card, please go to http://www.orcacard.com.

You will need to register as a vanpooler in order to receive the U-PASS vanpool credit. You can visit the Vanpool Registration Site and register your information as directed.

Yes. You will need to renew your Vanpool registration annually. Vanpool registrations expire at the end of June each year.

Yes, your U-PASS is valid for Paratransit Services.

If the ORCA reader shows a green light, beeps and displays the word “PASS,” your U-PASS is functioning properly. The cash value shown on the reader is for other ORCA products not related to the U-PASS program.

Call or visit the Office of the Registrar located in MAT 253, phone number 253-692-4913.

Please inform the Office of the Registrar immediately if you believe your Husky Card has been lost or stolen. They will be able to suspend activity on your Husky Card account until the Husky Card is found or replaced. Visit the Office of the Registrar (MAT 253) in order to obtain a new card.

Your U-PASS will be transferred electronically when your new Husky Card is printed and will be available for use 48 hours after card replacement.

Transportation Services at transit@uw.edu or 253-692-5926. Please provide the following information:

• Your name and UW ID#
• Name of the transit agency you were taking
• The route number
• Destination
• The time you boarded the bus or train
• Bus vehicle number (This is found inside the bus above the bus windshield, as well as on the sides, front and rear of the bus. See pictures below.)

No. The university is unable to disable the smart chip or issue Husky Cards without the smart chip.

No personal information or UW data is stored on the smart chip. Data on the smart chip indicates if you have an active U-PASS powered by ORCA or not, and processes transit transactions.

No. Personally identifiable information such as your name or UW ID number are NOT stored on the smart chip or within the ORCA system. The University does not send names, UW ID numbers or other personally-identifiable information to ORCA. No personally-identifiable information is collected by the ORCA system when you use your U-PASS.

The smart chip is a passive, short-range RFID chip that can only be read at short distances. For more information about what can be read from the chip, view the ORCA Privacy Statement.

Travel data is stored in the ORCA databases controlled by the transit agencies. This data is used for billing purposes and does not include personally-identifiable information.

Information about your most recent transit trips is also included on the smart chip in order to support transfer functions and fare apportionment amongst participating transit agencies. For more information, view the ORCA Privacy Statement.

For users of NFC-equipped Android phones, there is now an app called FareBot for downloading trip data from an ORCA card (http://news.cs.washington.edu/2013/02/13/insecurity-of-the-orca-regional-transit-not-so-smart-card/).

Data on the last ten trips are stored on an ORCA card and can be viewed using this app. Regular ORCA card users can obtain a printout of this same data at ORCA card retailers or they can register their cards in the ORCA system to view their complete trip making history. UW Husky ID Cards cannot be registered in the ORCA system. Prior to the availability of this app, U-PASS members who were interested in viewing their trip history had no access to their own data.

The RFID chip in the Husky Card is a short-range chip and a phone must be less than four inches away from the card to read it. The card must stay within this range for a couple seconds to read the data (similar to the pause that is needed when tapping an ORCA reader).

U-PASS members who are concerned about someone using this app to download data on their last ten trips are encouraged to purchase an RFID protective sleeve. The sleeve protects the card from minor scratches while shielding it from RFID readers. These sleeves are available for purchase from the Husky Card Account and ID center at UW Seattle.

No personally-identifiable information or UW data is stored on the smart chip. During the development of U-PASS powered by ORCA, UW Transportation Services consulted at length with faculty and students in the Computer Science and Engineering department on measures to protect U-PASS member privacy and security. The systems have been designed to segregate personally-identifiable information and ORCA data. All policies and procedures are in strict compliance with the UW Electronic Information Privacy Policy on Personally-Identifiable Information.

The smart chip is a passive, short-range RFID chip. It can only be read within a few inches of a reader and the chip stores no personally-identifiable information. You can use an RFID protective sleeve to prevent your card from being read. RFID protective sleeves are available for purchase at the Husky Card Account and ID Office in Seattle. Please note, the RFID protective sleeve must be removed when you use your U-PASS for transit.

No. The Finance & Administration Office is the only office with information on who has a valid U-PASS and keeps this information private in accordance with the UW Electronic Information Privacy Policy on Personally-Identifiable Information. The Finance & Administration Office does not have access to your personally-identifiable travel data.

There are several factors that will help guide your decision in how to get to UW Tacoma. The time of day that you need to be here, where you live, cost, etc., all play an important role in your decision. Our advice would be to try out different options (bus, train, drive & park, etc.) several weeks in advance from when you need to be here, if possible. Check out the Trip Planner to see if there are any bus routes located near your home. Talk with fellow students, staff and or faculty to find out how they get here and how they make it work for them. One crucial piece of advice is to give yourself plenty of time when getting here for the first time; don’t wait until your first day to figure it out, as you’ll already be stressed about classes, work, etc. Take a trial run on a slower day, such as during the weekend. If you still need help figuring out your commute options, employees can contact James Sinding at jamess7@uw.edu, and students can contact the Student Transportation Senator at asuwts8@uw.edu.

Take advantage of Pierce Transit’s Trip Planner, which gives you detailed bus route information to/from UW Tacoma. Be sure to enter your destination as UW Tacoma. We also recommend doing a trial run prior to your first time taking the bus to UW Tacoma (and ideally before your classes start). That way you can work out the kinks and figure out how it works for you before your first day.

At this time, we do not offer designated parking for carpoolers or vanpoolers. We hope to be able to offer this in the future. One idea to keep carpooling, while also enjoying economical and environmental benefits, is to carpool with a fellow student or employee and just one of you purchases a parking permit. Split the cost internally between the two of you, and whoever drives that day can place the permit on their car’s dashboard. Be sure that you are using a current parking permit and park in the designated area for that permit.