Commute Options

Transportation Services manages many programs to promote alternatives to driving to campus alone. Parking can be difficult to find. Commute by foot, bicycle, bus, carpool, vanpool, train or get dropped off and reduce traffic congestion, traffic emissions, and the demand for on campus parking.

For help planning your commute, please contact Transportation Services at (951) 827-8277 or email alttransportation@ucr.edu.

• Biking & Walking

  Riding a bike or walking is a fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly commute mode. There are over 3,000 bike rack spaces located throughout campus.  There are also four locked bike cages available at no cost for those that have registered their bikes on campus. 

  Bike amenities:  UCR has several self-fix-it stations for do-it-yourself light repairs.  Pedals bike shop is also conveniently located on campus every Wednesday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM in Lot 19, offering repairs, parts, and accessories.  Transportation Services provides free bike registration and issues bike licenses daily between the hours of 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

  If you are a UCR campus employee or graduate student, you may want to explore incentives for biking or walking to campus. Visit our Biking/Walking page.

• RTA / U-PASS Program

  UCR subsidizes 100% of your RTA bus pass through RTA’s U-PASS Program.  Just swipe your UCR ID card on board for unlimited, FREE rides on any RTA fixed route.  All RTA buses come equipped with free Wi-Fi and USB charging ports.   Current RTA schedules are available online or at Transportation Services.

  If you are a UCR campus employee or graduate student, you may want to explore incentives for taking the bus to campus. Visit our Learn About Taking the Bus page.

• Carpool

  UCR partners with Zimride to provide free carpool matching.  It’s a private network so you’re only matched with others in the UCR community.  Find a carpool partner and share the ride to save money on parking and gas.

  If you are a UCR campus employee or graduate student, you may want to explore incentives for carpooling to campus. Visit our Learn About Carpooling page.

• Vanpool

  Vanpooling is a cost effective option available to all members of the UCR community.  Routes operate Monday-Friday, traveling between common pickup locations and UCR’s campus.  They run once per day, usually arriving before 8:00 AM and leaving the campus by 5:00 PM.  Prices vary depending on the distance of the route and number of riders.  A monthly charge is assessed to all vanpool riders regardless of the number of days they ride.  Start by adding your name to the waitlist using your NetID.

  If you are a UCR campus employee or graduate student, you may want to explore incentives for vanpooling to campus. Visit our Learn About Vanpooling page.

• Metrolink

  Metrolink’s train services provides connections in six Southern California counties with two local stations near UCR.  Metrolink offers a 25% discount to students with a valid student ID.  RTA has several bus routes that run from the Metrolink station directly to campus.

• Drop-Off

  If you are a UCR campus employee or graduate student and carpool to campus with another working adult, you may want to explore the Drop Off Program.

  What distinguishes a Drop Off participant from a Carpool participant is their driving partner’s place of employment. Drop Off program participants share a ride with another person not working on campus and the Drop Off participant does not park a vehicle on campus.

Parking Options

If you choose to drive to campus, a valid parking permit must be displayed in your vehicle at all times on the UC Riverside campus. Free parking is available at the Hunter Park Metrolink station. Faculty/ Staff parking permits may be purchased at the Parking Services office.  Most permits are lot specific and sold based on lot availability. Waiting lists are maintained for high demand lots. You may add/remove yourself from waiting lists via our Parking Account Center by logging in with your NetID.

Parking permits may be purchased using cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, or Discover. Qualified employees may also pay permit fees via monthly payroll deduction. To qualify for payroll deduction, you must be in the payroll system with an appointment of 50% or greater (no fellowships, grants, or without salary appointments). Your appointment must be for a minimum of one year. 

• Free Parking

  The Riverside Hunter Park/UCR Station is an official county sponsored Park & Ride lot and offers complimentary parking (see map) for commuters.  The station is two miles from UCR and is located at 1101 Marlborough Avenue, Riverside.  From there you can take RTA Route 52 directly to campus.  Bus service begins at 5:10 AM and the last bus back from UCR is at 7:30 PM.  Buses run approximately every 30-40 minutes.  The P2P shuttle will take you back to the Hunter Park Metrolink Station in the evenings between 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM.

• Red Permit

  Red permits may be purchased at the Parking Services office.  Red permits are lot specific and sold based on lot availability. Waiting lists are maintained for high demand lots. You may add/remove yourself from waiting lists via our Parking Account Center by logging in with your NetID.

  Red permits are VALID:

  • In the Red lot designated on the permit
  • In Gold Lots 26, 30, 32, 50 and gold striped spaces in Falkirk
  • For up to 2 hours in non-reserved spaces of other Red or Blue lots one time per day
  • After 6:00 PM Monday-Friday and all day on weekends in all non-reserved spaces in Red, Blue and Gold permit lots

  Red permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Residence Hall, Campus Apartment or Oban Family Housing lots
  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Disabled or Medical stalls
  • In Service stalls
  • In any specially marked stalls
• Blue Permit

  Blue permits may be purchased at the Parking Services office.  Blue permits are lot specific and sold based on lot availability. Waiting lists are maintained for high demand lots. You may add/remove yourself from waiting lists via our Parking Account Center by logging in with your NetID.

  Blue permits are VALID:

  • In the Blue lot designated on the permit
  • In Gold Lots 26, 30, 32, 50 and gold striped spaces in Falkirk
  • For up to 2 hours in non-reserved spaces of other Blue lots one time per day
  • After 6:00 PM Monday-Friday and all day on weekends in all non-reserved spaces in Red, Blue and Gold permit lots

  Blue permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Residence Hall, Campus Apartment or Oban Family Housing lots
  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Disabled or Medical stalls
  • In Service stalls
  • In any specially marked stalls
• Gold Permit

  Gold permits are available online by logging in with your UCR NetID or at the Parking Services office.

  Gold permits are VALID:

  • In Gold Lots 26, 30, 32, 50 and gold striped spaces in Falkirk
  • After 6:00 PM Monday-Friday and all day on weekends in all non-reserved spaces in Blue parking areas in Lots 1, 6, 9, 13, 23 and 24

  Gold permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Residence Hall, Campus Apartment or Oban Family Housing lots
  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Disabled or Medical stalls
  • In Service stalls
  • In any specially marked stalls
• Red Carpool Permit

  Carpool permit holders must first enroll and be pre-approved to participate in the Carpool Program prior to a Carpool permit being issued. All carpool participants will be responsible for a portion of the permit costs.

  Red carpool permits are VALID:

  • In reserved carpool spaces or any non-reserved space in the Red lot designated on the permit
  • In Gold Lots 26, 30, 32, 50 and gold striped spaces in Falkirk
  • For up to 2 hours in non-reserved spaces of other Red or Blue lots one time per day
  • After 6:00 PM Monday-Friday and all day on weekends in all non-reserved spaces in Red, Blue and Gold permit lots

  Red Carpool permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Residence Hall, Campus Apartment or Oban Family Housing lots
  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Disabled or Medical stalls
  • In Service stalls
• Blue Carpool Permit

  Carpool permit holders must first enroll and be pre-approved to participate in the Carpool Program prior to a Carpool permit being issued. All carpool participants will be responsible for a portion of the permit costs.

  Blue carpool permits are VALID:

  • In reserved carpool spaces or any non-reserved space in the Blue lot designated on the permit
  • In Gold Lots 26, 30, 32, 50 and gold striped spaces in Falkirk
  • For up to 2 hours in non-reserved spaces of other Blue lots one time per day
  • After 6:00 PM Monday-Friday and all day on weekends in all non-reserved spaces in Red, Blue and Gold permit lots

  Blue Carpool permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Residence Hall, Campus Apartment or Oban Family Housing lots
  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Disabled or Medical stalls
  • In Service stalls
• Night Permit

  Night permits are available online by logging in with your UCR NetID.

  Night permits are VALID:

  • After 4:00 PM Monday-Friday and all day on weekends in all non-reserved spaces in Red, Blue and Gold permit lots

  Night permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Residence Hall, Campus Apartment or Oban Family Housing lots
  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Disabled or Medical stalls
  • In Service stalls
  • In any specially marked stalls
• Motorcycle Permit

  Motorcycle permits may be purchased at the Parking Services office.

  Motorcycle permits are VALID:

  • In designated motorcycle spaces only

  Motorcycle permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Disabled or Medical stalls
  • In Service stalls
  • In any specially marked stalls
• Medical Permit

  Faculty/Staff who have been issued a Disabled Person Parking Placard or license plate from the Department of Motor Vehicles may purchase a Medical permit at the Parking Services office. Please bring your placard and identification to the Parking Services office to purchase a Medical permit.

  Faculty/Staff who require temporary access to disabled parking but do not have a Disabled Person Parking placard may also apply for a campus Medical permit by providing a letter from their physician stating the need for a medical parking permit and the duration of time the permit will be required.

  Medical permits are VALID:

  • In Medical, Red, Blue, Gold, Residence Hall, Campus Apartment and Oban Family Housing spaces
  • In Disabled spaces if displayed with a valid Disabled Person Parking Placard or DP license plate issued to you by the DMV

  Medical permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Reserved stalls
  • In University Village disabled spaces
  • In Disabled spaces if the student/employee does not have a Disabled Person Parking Placard or DP license plate issued to them by the DMV
• Intellicenter Permit

  Intellicenter permits may be purchased at the Parking Services office or on Wednesday's between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm in the Intellicenter lobby.  The Intellicenter is located at 14350 Meridian Parkway, Riverside, CA 92518.

  Intellicenter permits are available to those employees whose assigned work location, according to university records, is at the Intellicenter. If the employee's assigned work location is changed to the main UCR campus, the Intellicenter permit must be returned to Parking Services.

  Intellicenter General permits are VALID:

  • In the Intellicenter Lot
  • In Lot 13 Blue on the main UCR campus

  Intellicenter Blue permits are VALID:

  • In the Intellicenter Lot
  • In Blue lots on the main UCR campus

  Intellicenter Red permits are VALID:

  • In the Intellicenter Lot
  • In Red lots on the main UCR campus
• Executive Permit

  Executive permits are available for purchase at the Parking Services office by UCR employees in job titles classified at a level equivalent to or above Associate Dean/Associate Vice Chancellor. Eligibility is determined by the Director of Transportation and Parking Services.

  Executive permits are VALID:

  • In all Red, Blue, and Gold spaces

  Executive permits are NOT VALID:

  • In Residence Hall, Campus Apartment or Oban Family Housing lots
  • In Pay-by-Space stalls
  • In Disabled or Medical stalls
• Emeritus/Retiree Permit

  For those faculty or staff who are retired and continuing services without compensation, Parking Services offers a free parking permit for use in any Gold parking lot or parking permits in Red and Blue lots for half price, based on availability.

  Retiree permits are non-transferrable and restricted to retirees only.

• Temporary Permit

  One-day Gold temporary parking permits are available at the University Kiosk located at University Ave. and W. Campus Dr. (in front of Lot 1) or at the Parking Services office. Multiple-day temporary permits are available at the Parking Services office. Identification will be required. Temporary permits are limited to seven one-day permits per academic year.