The University of Washington: Facilities Services

Carpool Parking Permits

Faculty, Staff and Student Carpooling

Carpooling is a flexible, cost-saving commute option for UW employees and student U-PASS holders. With a U-PASS, plus a minimal additional fee, you can carpool all the time or on an occasional basis to supplement your regular commute mode.

Permit Carpools: Faculty and staff U-PASS holders who carpool regularly can obtain a quarterly or annual carpool permit. A hang-tag carpool permit is issued to the group and shifted among all the vehicles used. Student U-PASS holders may join a faculty/staff permit carpool.

Impromptu Carpooling: Any group of 2 or 3 UW Seattle campus employee or student U-PASS holders who each have a Husky Card Account can carpool on an impromptu basis.

  • More on Carpool Permits (link to anchor “Carpool Permits” below, on this page)
  • More on Impromptu Carpooling (link to anchor “Impromptu Carpooling” below, on this page)

Need help connecting with other riders and drivers? Talk to co-workers or classmates who live near you or get leads from the free RideshareOnline service.

Carpool Permits (quarterly or annual)

Carpool Permits cost $61.20 per quarter and are valid 7 days a week. To apply for a carpool permit, all carpool members come together to Commuter Services with their U-PASSes. Members list vehicle information (make/year/model/license plate numbers) and sign a statement certifying that they meet carpooling criteria. A hang-tag carpool permit is issued to the group, with a lot designation based on the work location of the head of the carpool.

Who can participate?

At least one carpool member must be a permanent-status faculty or staff Seattle campus employee, an affiliate, a temporary/hourly employee working at least 3 days a week during the quarter, a reemployed retiree, or an Academic Student Employee (ASE) who chooses to buy a faculty/staff rather than a student U-PASS. Harborview employees are not eligible to participate in a permit carpool; please contact Harborview for commuting options.

Rules

  • All participants must purchase a U-PASS or UW FlexPass.
  • All must carpool inbound to campus at least 3 days a week.
  • All must live more than one mile from campus.
  • The group must use a logical commute path (not drive past the campus to pick up members).
  • UW Seattle employees working off-campus at CTR-affected sites are also eligible for carpool permits, but all members of a carpool must work at the same site (for example, all at UW Seattle campus or all at South Lake Union campus).
  • All outstanding campus parking violations must be paid.
  • The designated “head of the carpool” must have a valid driver’s license and own or lease a vehicle. A student cannot be designated “head of the carpool”.
  • Vehicle changes (additions, deletions, license plate updates) must be reported to Commuter Services. prkissue@u.washington.edu
  • Changes in carpool status must be reported to Commuter Services immediately. The permit must be returned if the carpool disbands, even during the time the group may be forming a new carpool. Use of a carpool permit after the carpool has disbanded may result in fines and/or disciplinary action.
  • Carpool permits are valid during most special events, but, you may be required to park in a different location on the day of the event.
  • If the lot assigned to your permit is full, you can automatically park in the overflow lot. If your assigned lot does not have an overflow lot, or if the overflow lot is also full, please stop at a campus gatehouse so that the attendant can give you an alternate lot for the day.

Flexibility:

  • Commuting separately: Carpool participants agree to share the ride a minimum of 3 days per week. If desired, members may commute separately on the other days. The head of the carpool would drive in alone, using the carpool permit; other members of the carpool may use their U-PASS to take the bus, or, in the case of faculty and staff, may use Individual Commuter Tickets (ICTs) to park alone. When the head of the carpool is sick or on vacation, he gives the permit to other members of the group to use in his absence.
  • Carpool permits are valid in load zones for the posted time.
  • Carpool permits are valid in any unrestricted areas after 4:00 p.m., without stopping at a gatehouse for reassignment.

Impromptu Carpooling

Two or more UW Seattle campus employee or student U-PASS holders who each have a Husky Card Account can carpool on an impromptu basis on the main campus or in the Montlake (E1) lot.

Main Campus before 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

Two faculty/staff U-PASS holders (or 3 student U-PASS holders)stop at a campus gatehouse and present their Husky Cards to the attendant. The $1.02 per day carpool charge will be evenly deducted from each Husky Card Account.

Impromptu carpool parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the following areas:

  • Central Plaza Garage (enter at NE 41st & 15th Ave NE)
  • N5 (enter at NE 45 & Memorial Way
  • Padelford Garage (enter at 25th Ave NE & NE 44th Place)
  • E10 and E12 (only if you work at UWMC or HSB) (enter at Gate 8)

Main Campus after 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday, or before noon on Saturday

Two faculty, staff or student U-PASS holders stop at a campus gatehouse and present their Husky Cards to the attendant. The $1.02 per day carpool charge will be evenly deducted from each Husky Card Account.

Impromptu carpool parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the following areas:

  • Central Plaza Garage (enter at NE 41st & 15th Ave NE)
  • N5 (enter at NE 45 & Memorial Way
  • Padelford Garage (enter at 25th Ave NE & NE 44th Place)
  • E12 (Husky Stadium lot)
  • S1 (enter off 15th Ave NE behind Health Sciences)

Montlake (E1) lot

Any 2 UW Seattle campus employee or student U-PASS holders with Husky Card Accounts can carpool on an impromptu basis in the Montlake lot. At the carpool entrance (southeast corner of the lot), swipe both Husky Cards in the card reader. Each of the 2 Husky Card Accounts will be deducted $.40 (half of the $.80 per day carpool fee).
Note: Money must have been placed in your Husky Card Account a minimum of 24 hours before it may be used for parking.

Note for PPUP participants: If you are signed up for PPUP, if you park as an impromptu carpool for the first time on a given day, whether on main campus or in the Montlake lot (instead of first parking in the West Campus Garage), the applicable [PPUP](link to the new URL for page explaining PPUP) rates will apply, rather than the impromptu carpool rates cited above.