Information for new students

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students at class seated in a circle on lawn

Welcome to the UW! Transportation Services is here to help you get to campus and around Seattle.

U-PASS

Your U-PASS will be activated on your Husky Card a week before the quarter starts. To activate it, tap your Husky Card on any bus or train card reader within 60 days.

Time to explore! The U-PASS is good for unlimited rides on King County Metro Transit, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit, Everett Transit and Sound Transit, which includes regional buses, Link light rail and Sounder trains. (Link light rail provides direct service between Sea-Tac Airport and the UW station.) You can also use U-PASS to take a King County Water Taxi or Kitsap Fast Ferry.

Most students are automatically U-PASS members as part of the Service & Activities Fee (SAF), but if you are not eligible to receive the Universal Student U-PASS, you can buy an optional quarterly pass.

Learn more:

Getting to campus

More than 90% of students walk, take transit or bike to the UW. You’re a big part of why the UW is a top-rated university in the nation for sustainable commuting!

If you live on or near campus: Check out our walking and biking tips.

If you live further away: Look up transit and biking routes.

If you’re thinking about driving: Get directions and learn about student parking.

If you have safety concerns: Learn about nighttime mobility options and other safety resources.

If you are a student at UW Bothell or UW Tacoma: Check out the transportation pages for UW Bothell and UW Tacoma.

Other UW resources:

Frequently asked questions

Parking

When can I purchase quarterly student parking permits as commuter or as a resident?

For student commuters wishing to purchase a quarterly E18 VALUE permit, it is best to wait until two weeks before you need to begin parking on campus, as the customer portal allows you to set a start date for your parking up to two weeks from the current day. For student residents wishing to purchase a quarterly resident SOV near to their housing, it will become available to you in the customer portal at 12:15 p.m. on the date exactly two weeks from your move-in date.

I am not living on campus. How do I purchase permits?

If you are commuting to campus and are interested in a short-term, or quarterly permit, you are eligible to purchase them for the E18 Value lot via the Transportation Services Customer Portal. A step-by-step guide for purchasing Value Permits in the customer portal is located in the Value Permit User Guide.

You may also purchase parking for other lots on campus at the visitor rate via a pay machine, the PayByPhone app, or from a gatehouse. Here are few links regarding visitor parking options for your reference:

Additional lots are available for students with disabilities. Please apply through the Disability Resources for Students office and contact Transportation Services for assistance setting up your parking.

I am living on campus. How do I purchase a quarterly resident permit?

Students who live in a UW residence hall are eligible to purchase a quarterly SOV permit via the Transportation Services Customer Portal using your UW NetID. A step-by-step guide to purchasing a quarterly resident SOV is located in the Student Resident SOV Permit User Guide.

Student resident lots available for a quarterly SOV are: N13, N14, N15, W20, W21, W22, W23, W29, W32, W33, and W39.

NOTE: You won’t find the W39 (Mercer Court) or W20 – W23 (Cedar Apartments) lots in the portal. These lots require an AVI card for access and are not available online. Before purchasing, please call us or stop by in person to check availability. Staff can assist you with purchasing these lots during the phone call. If you do not yet have an AVI card, please stop by the Transportation Services office to pick one up either before or after your purchase. We are located at 1320 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA 98195 and our phone number is 206-221-3701. Our office hours are Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

How do campus permits work?

Each permit is digitally linked to your license plate number. Transportation Services uses a license plate recognition (LPR) system for enforcement in UW parking lots and garages. The LPR system uses vehicle-mounted cameras to capture images of parked vehicles, including their license plates.

It is important to enter your license plate information correctly. Whether you are a visitor using a self-serve parking pay machine or PayByPhone, or you are a permit holder, please ensure that you have entered your license plate information accurately. Here are some general guidelines:

Enter your vehicle license plate number exactly as it appears on the vehicle registration.
Do not enter any dashes as a part of your license plate number. Example: 123-ABC should be entered as 123ABC.
If you have an out-of-state license plate, please enter that information until you receive your Washington license plates. Once you have received and installed your Washington license plates, use that license plate information moving forward when parking on campus.
Similarly, if you have temporary plates, please enter that information until you receive your permanent license plates. Once you have received and installed your permanent license plates, use that license plate information moving forward when parking on campus.
Please enter 0 (number zero) and O (letter O) appropriately. If grouped together with numbers (809), the input would be the number zero. If grouped together with letters (KOL), the input would be the letter O. Some plates will denote zeros by putting a diagonal slash through the middle.

I only need to park after 4 p.m. for night classes or work. Which permit should I buy?

Students who only need evening parking after 4 p.m. may purchase a “DAILY / Night” permit (valid from 1 p.m. - midnight), a Night Short-Term permit (valid from 4 p.m. – 8 a.m. the following day) at a rate of $3.15/day. These can be purchased in the customer portal. Annual or Quarterly Night permits are also available if you need night parking 5 days a week and prefer the convenience of not having to purchase shorter term parking regularly in the portal.