Parking

Carpool

Program Goals

  • To reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in and around the campus
  • To support USF’s commitment to sustainability
  • To reduce the use of Single Occupancy Vehicles (SOV)
  • To reduce demand for parking on the USF Tampa campus
  • To increase the number of carpool participants
  • To provide a benefit for USF students, faculty, and staff through reduced commuting costs

Students/Faculty/Staff Benefits

  • Preferred carpool parking space(s)
  • Reduced parking permit costs
  • Reduced costs for vehicle ownership
  • Free membership in the Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program

USF Carpool Program Details

1. Eligibility

  1. All carpool participants must be USF faculty/staff or students who work or are enrolled at the Tampa Campus. Groups ineligible for the carpool permit program include, but are not limited to: campus residents and those living in proximity to a Bull Runner Shuttle route, affiliate employees, and regional staff or students.
  2. Eligibility is determined by PATS based upon student class schedules and employee work schedules. Students must submit a current class schedule when applying. Faculty/staff must submit a letter from their supervisor containing work schedule.

2. Carpool Defined

  1. The carpool must consist of two or more faculty/staff commuting together or two or more students commuting together at least four (4) times per week to the USF Tampa campus. Additional riders are welcome, but only two will be registered carpool members.
  2. If a carpool disbands, both permits must be returned. Returned permits will be refunded on a prorated basis according to PATS rules and regulations.

3. Carpool Registration Process

  1. Carpool permits are limited and on a first come, first served basis.
  2. Each carpool must register with USF Parking and Transportation Services. Both members of the carpool must register together, in person, at USF Parking and Transportation. Carpools must be determined by the participants before registering for the carpool program.
  3. All vehicles used by carpool participants must be registered with PATS. Unregistered vehicles are not authorized to utilize carpool spaces.
  4. The USF Parking and Transportation Services must be notified of any change to a carpool status. Notification must take place within 14 days of the change. Both members of the carpool are responsible for reporting any changes.

4. Carpool Parking Spaces

  1. Approved carpools will be assigned a reserved space designated for carpool parking to be determined by PATS.
  2. Approved carpools may only park in their designated space with both carpool permits displayed inside the vehicles' lower-left, driver's side of the windshield at all times.
  3. Parking permits will be designated as ECP for faculty/staff and SCP for students.
  4. In the event one carpool member forgets their permit the PATS office will issue up to 3 courtesy permits per semester to enable the vehicle to park in the carpool space.
  5. If only one permit is displayed, the vehicle is ineligible to park in the carpool space. However, parking is allowed in Y (Park and Ride) lots.
  6. If your carpool space is not available you may park in the closest available unlabeled space in the lot.
  7. After 5:30 P.M., standard parking rules apply.

5. Carpool Permit Pricing

  1. Faculty/Staff: $230.00 plus tax, per pass/per year (15% discount)
  2. Student: $156.00 plus tax, per pass/per year (15% discount)
  3. Carpool parking fees are based on discounted current fiscal year rates and the policies established by PATS. Any refunds are based on PATS rules and regulations.

6. Benefits for USF Carpool Participants

  1. Free One-Day Parking Permits.  Each person in the carpool will be issued 3 one-day parking permits per semester (Fall, Spring, Summer) for use on days when not carpooling. Faculty/staff will be issued E parking and students will be issued S parking.

7. Enforcement

  1. All established USF Parking and Transportation rules and regulations apply to carpools.
  2. A citation issued to a registered carpool vehicle is the responsibility of the registrant.
  3. USF Parking and Transportation Services' enforcement will report any violations of carpool policies to PATS' management.
  4. Any falsifying of information or misuse of the carpool program, including and especially failure to alert the Parking Office of change in status, could result in the revocation of parking privileges.
  5. Vehicles are subject to being immobilized by a mechanical boot or towed away at the operator's expense.

Rules and Regulations

Carpool participants must abide by Parking Services' rules and regulations, as outlined in the above carpool policy. The carpool rules and regulations are subject to change.
The University reserves the right to relocate or cancel parking privileges without cause at any time and to issue refunds in accordance with fee proration policies.

Emergency Ride Home

Every carpool participant is automatically eligible to participate in the free Emergency Ride Home Program (ERH) offered through the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA). All participants in the carpool program must complete the appropriate forms to participate in the ERH program.  Information about the TBARTA emergency ride home program is accessible at https://www.tbarta.com/en/commute-tampa-bay/emergency-ride-home/