As part of the new parking plan, Washington University in St. Louis is announcing parking permit pricing for the 2017-18 academic year as well as details on the new lottery system, which is slated to open to faculty, staff and students Monday, April 17.
Anyone who plans to purchase a permit of any type — including those who participate in special programs such as Bearly Drivers, Occasional Parking or the Eliot Society — will need to register via the lottery. This includes all eligible undergraduate or graduate students and full- or part-time faculty and staff who work at the Danforth Campus, North Campus and West Campus. Basic service contractors also will need to participate in the lottery.
The changes are part of the new parking and transportation strategy, which will divide the Danforth Campus into five zones — the east end (Zone 1); south core (Zone 2); north core (Zone 3); South 40 (Zone 4); and the North and West campuses (Zone 5) — starting July 1.
As part of the zone system, two permit types will be available: yellow, which will be available to all eligible permit holders and valid only in the zone to which it applies; and red, which will be available only to employees and is valid in any zone. Permits for Zone 1 will be unavailable for the next two years due to construction at the east end of the Danforth Campus.
Permit pricing
Starting July 1, the university will transition to the new zone parking system. For the coming year only, parking permits will be valid from July 1, 2017, through July 31, 2018. In future years, all parking permits will be valid for 12 months, starting Aug. 1 and ending July 31.
“Throughout the development of the new parking strategy, we placed a significant focus not only on permit policies but also pricing for the coming academic year,” said Dedric Carter, vice chancellor for operations and technology transfer. “Although rates are increasing as a whole, we have worked hard to keep these changes as minimal as possible while also ensuring we are able to meet key operational needs for our parking resources in the year ahead.”
The annual price for 2017-18 yellow permits will increase by 8 percent. The monthly cost for 2017-18, however, will remain $58.25 because the permit will be valid until August 2018, allowing the price to be spread over 13 months. The monthly cost of a red permit will increase from $140 to $145.
Washington University offers several low-cost options, including the new ParkSmart option, which allows eligible permit holders to park at West Campus for less than $9 per month. There is also a wide mix of alternative transportation options available to the campus community, including the Metro, Campus Circulator and the new West Campus Shuttle, which runs every 15 minutes from West Campus to the Danforth Campus between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To review the new parking prices, visit parking.wustl.edu.
Lottery registration
Between Monday, April 17, and Friday, April 28, those who want to purchase a permit for the coming academic year will need to log in to the system using their WUSTL key at parkinglottery.wustl.edu. (The link will not be live until April 17.)
Individuals who do not have a WUSTL key will be able to enter the lottery through a separate process managed between individual schools and the Parking & Transportation team. Individuals who join the university after the lottery is closed will be directed to contact the Parking & Transportation office to purchase a permit.
Step-by-step lottery registration process
- Landing page: Upon accessing the site, participants will be able to view the parking zone map, permit options, permit descriptions and pricing.
- Permit selection: From there, they will be able to select their first, second and third zone choices from drop-down menus.
- Special programs: Those who plan to sign up for special programs such as Bearly Drivers or Occasional Parking; hold an Eliot Society permit; or need to request accessible parking will be prompted for additional information.
- Payment: Participants then will be able to choose a method of payment, including payroll deduction, student billing, credit card, PayPal or pay in person. Charges will not be applied until permits are finalized and issued by the Parking & Transportation team.
- Notifications: Upon completion of the lottery, a notification will be sent outlining each participant’s first, second and third choice, payment selection, and an overview of next steps. Those who need to make changes to a submission can do so by logging back in to the system and updating selections at any point between April 17 and April 28.
To learn more about the lottery, visit the Parking & Transportation website.
“The lottery process is a critical component to the new parking strategy and will help ensure we are able to properly allocate parking resources as effectively as possible,” Carter said.
The lottery will close April 28. Starting May 1, the Parking & Transportation team will run the lottery through the pool of registrants. Notifications of permit and zone assignments will be sent out the week of May 15. Permit holders then will be required to confirm receipt and verify payment prior to June 9. During this period, applicants also will be given the option to join a waitlist for a preferred zone. Those who fail to confirm permit and payment by the June 9 deadline will forfeit their permit to the next individual on the waitlist.
Permits will be distributed to faculty and staff in person by the Parking & Transportation team later in June. Student permits will be distributed in August. Individuals who are unable to pick up their permits on the designated distribution days will be able to pick up their permits at the Parking & Transportation office.
Any individuals who decide they no longer want a permit for the 2017-18 academic year will be able to return it under the same policies that apply today.
“Our goal is to ensure the lottery process is as simple and straightforward as possible,” Carter said. “We will do as much as we can to educate the community about the process before the lottery opens later this month, but we are encouraging you to take the time to explore your options, read our FAQ, and attend the upcoming town hall if possible. For those who cannot attend in person, we have posted a video from one of the sessions on the parking website.”
To learn more, visit parking.wustl.edu.
For specific questions that require individual responses, call the hotline (314-935-3616) or email the team at newparkingplan@wustl.edu. For information on the university’s alternative commuting options, visit www.parking.wustl.edu/commute-options/.