Carpooling is a flexible, cost-saving commute option. You can carpool all the time or occasionally as a supplement to the way you regularly commute.
Faculty and staff who commit to carpooling at least three days a week can obtain a quarterly or annual carpool permit to park on campus. These permits are assigned to a specific lot and are usable seven days a week. Included in the price is a free U-PASS for up to four members of the carpool. Students may participate in an organized carpool provided at least one member of the carpool group is an active faculty or staff member.
| Permit type | Rate* |
|---|---|
| Carpool Driver/Rider permit - 2-person | $295.20 quarterly, $1,180.80 yearly |
| Carpool Driver/Rider permit - 3-person | $196.80 quarterly, $787.20 yearly |
| Carpool Driver/Rider permit - 4-person | $147.60 quarterly, $590.40 yearly |
| * Rates listed are per person. At least one carpool member must be faculty or staff. U-PASS available. | |
Carpool permits must be initially purchased in person at the Transportation Services office. Drivers and riders each purchase their own carpool permits, with the cost split evenly. A valid vehicle registration is required for the carpool drivers permit.
After initially registering and purchasing your carpool permit in person, carpool permits may be renewed on the online customer portal. All drivers and riders must renew their own individual permits (online or in person) before they expire or else all carpool-related permits for the group will be deactivated. In addition to being able to renew online, drivers may also manage their linked vehicles online.
Interested, but not sure where to start?
Look for colleagues to share a ride by printing a "riders wanted" sign (pdf) and post it in your office break room.
As a thank you for UW commuters who share the ride to campus, UW has designated carpool parking spaces in convenient, easy-to-find locations in a few of our most popular lots. These are first-come, first-serve to anyone with a valid carpool permit for that specific lot or garage.
Proper vehicle information registration and permit display
- Carpool permits are enforced using license-plate recognition technology. Please ensure that the vehicle license plate(s) linked to your permit(s) are accurate to avoid a citation.
- If you have a Carpool Club permit, it should be hung from your car's rear-view mirror or displayed on the driver's side dashboard fully visible from the exterior of the vehicle.
Eligibility
- An eligible faculty or staff member can be a permanent-status faculty member, Seattle campus employee, an affiliate, a temporary/hourly employee working at least three days a week during the quarter, a reemployed retiree, or an Academic Student Employee (ASE). Harborview employees are not eligible to participate in a permit carpool; please contact Harborview for commuting options.
- The Carpool Driver must have a valid driver's license and own or lease a vehicle. A student cannot be designated as the Carpool Driver.
- All carpool members must live more than one mile from campus (see map) or one mile away from their off-campus work site.
- All carpool participants agree to share the ride a minimum of 3 days per week.
- If desired, members may commute separately up to two days per week. The Carpool Driver may drive in alone, using their Carpool Driver permit; other members of the carpool may use their U-PASS to take the bus.
- All members of a carpool must work at the same site (for ex., all at the UW Seattle campus or all at South Lake Union), unless their multiple worksite status has been reviewed and approved by Transportation Services staff at the time of carpool registration. The group must use a logical commute path and not drive past the campus or work site to pick up members.
- Failure to pay outstanding campus parking violations can make you ineligible for a carpool permit.
Where to park
- Permits are assigned to a lot when they are created. 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.
- Carpool permits are valid in any unrestricted areas after 4 p.m. without stopping at a gatehouse for reassignment.
- 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.
Changes and refunds
- Member additions or removals must be reported to Transportation Services at ucommute@uw.edu. License plate and vehicle updates can be made online.
- Changes in carpool status including separated or inactive members must be reported to Transportation Services immediately by contacting ucommute@uw.edu. The permit and associated U-PASSes will be cancelled if the carpool disbands once Transportation Services is notified, even during the time the group may be forming a new carpool (new permits and associated U-PASSes will be issued).
- Refunds will only be given to the person who initially paid.
- Any and all complimentary employee U-PASSes assigned under the carpool must be returned at that time in order to cancel the permit. If one member wishes to be removed from the carpool and is unable to retrieve the permit, please contact our office for assistance. All members of the carpool remain responsible for payment of the carpool permit fees until the permit is returned and canceled. For more information about returning parking permits, review our return and refund policy.
- Improper use of a carpool permit may result in fines and/or disciplinary action.