The worst parking ever in OC and this is saying so much because the diamond jamboree is only 10 minutes away. Parking is extremely expensive and the transportation sector scalps so hard with the zones they let you park in, not to mention enforcement crawls all over campus in their stupid decked out cars waiting to find anyone to ticket because they have nothing else better to do. Genuinely they need to fix how they run the system because no one has anything good to say about the parking or the people who run it. Ron Fleming is wholly terrible at his job and everyone who works there needs to revolt and quit because it is quite possibly the worst department at UCI. read more

Would give zero stars if I could. I understand these people are just doing their job but there is no reason I should be paying $355 for a fall permit then getting citations for not paying $14 a day, for 3-5 days, in visitor parking while I wait for it to be registered. Do not forget that this is the time period when people are moving in. I do not understand why they can't give it a rest during this time. This is a college campus, we are here to get a degree to make money. Therefore, why are we assuming that everyone here is already made of money to pay for citations they were not aware they would get. Not to mention the number of countless false citations I have received. read more

I got my first ticket, so I went and bought an AR parking permit. those of you familiar with this should know that this should be able to park pretty much anywhere. Then just a week later. Got another $75 ticket, resident only space? Well okay. as an international student who is only being paid $100 a week and working grossly overtime. All I can say is that America is going down the tubes and I'll make sure no one in my family ever comes here again to pay for expensive tuition. By the way, and the people who put up the tickets are actually UCI students... read more

I love parking in the area I pay to park in and getting ticketed for it anyway. Great work extorting money from students who already struggle financially! read more

Disgusting and unfair business practices. Overly harsh, ticketed me for using the wrong meter to pay for a pay-by-space spot. I literally paid $20 for the space, but because I used the wrong meter to pay for it, I got a $50 ticket. There is absolutely no signage demonstrating which meter is for which spots. Feels like it's purposely confusing so that they can leech money off of students. And heaven forbid you try to argue the ticket, you have to pay it anyways and then go through a lengthy process to try to fight it. Wondering how these people can sleep at night knowing that they're essentially stealing money from struggling college students who are there to work for a degree and their future. read more

Terrible. Let me list the ways... 1) Overpriced for what you get. Lots are ALWAY full when you need to get to class. 2) AR parking change WITHOUT NOTICE. The solution to problem #1 was to spend a little more for the AR/Preferred permit. I bit the bullet and purchased this one. It became much easier to find parking. That is until they changed the rules with no notice. In fact... I'll attach pictures of my permit purchase confirmation for this quarter. I was SPECIFICALLY TOLD I COULD PARK IN AR. Then, days before classes start I received a "reminder" that Preferred permits are not valid on AR spots. Uh, news flash: changes are not reminders. Now the "P" spots are always f***ing full. What's the point anymore? Oh and of course the AR spots are not full. If transportation is reading this--and I doubt it--I will continue to follow this rule but if things get worse (and I feel that they will), get ready to have a number of angry commuters asking for refunds and complaining to supervisors on a regular basis. I will gladly pass along the contact information for the transportation department. read more

UCI Transportation & Distribution Services - Parking Near Me - Irvine, California

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Overcharges students with tickets and has horrible service. They are scammers and just want your money in the end and don't care one bit about students with low income. read more

BS BS BS VALLET SERVICE IS A JOKE OVER 40 minutes to get my car back to us had a major emergency told the guy up front this he's to busy on PHONE chit chatting away while other older people wait in cold rain this is so unexpectable and rude of them not to help my mother 71 yr old in lifting my wheel chair up to the back of our truck lazy pos workers no you don't deserve a f TIP loser get a new job answering phones take a hike let someone else that really wants to work take your job if I wasn't disabled I run circles on all you worked at many clubs thousand of cars never waited over 45 min and didn't help out old people in need you all should be ashamed especially who ever the manager is get real hope they fire you all one day REAL TALK!! read more

deserves a 0 star!!! I pay $70 a month to park in a parking lot that's not even close to my classes (ok well maybe 1/4 classes). If I'm paying this much, I should be able to park wherever I want. *eye roll* they talk about oh other lots fill up and I've been to other lots and there are spaces open!!! They ticket like crazy. I got a ticket for being in the right parking lot at the right time :-) They said my shades were covering my permit but that's no excuse. My license plate is registered in their system so that shouldn't be a problem either, but no, I got ticketed for $68. They let me go since it was my first time but jeez. Why make me input my license plate if you're not going to use it to verify if I have a permit or not Sometimes they close down half the parking lot so you have to drive the extra 10 min to the gym (super far from campus) and shuttle to campus (takes like 20 min to get to class). if it was such an important event, they would've gotten enough money from letting those people buy all those parking spots so I can park wherever I want but no I need to come to school an extra hour earlier to figure things out :-) So many hit and runs happen on campus and the police do nothing. I remember I got this giant dent in my car with no note and the police was like "maybe your insurance will cover it!" "oh yeah can't do anything about it. sorry." Like all uci transp does is ticket people so why not do something productive and better with your lives like bettering the parking situation!!!! how about transportation doesn't build parking structures that are far away from campus bc no one will use them and put that money into cameras Like they're ticketing poor college students like wtf man do u have no sympathy like I'm poor bc all my mine goes into paying for this parking permit literally the worst establishment at uci. I'm forced to continue using it but honestly sucks so much. I'm just writing this review hoping uci transportation reads it and figures out they need to do something about parking here bc this is ridiculous read more

worst parking service ever!! Read ur ticket and know the law, these scammers will over charge you unless you go on your own time and see how much money you actually owe. I have received 2 tickets so far being a student here and both times I have had fraud claims against me that over charge drastically!! Parking enforcement is u educated on the rules don't let their stupidity and carelessness cost you! read more

UCI Transportation & Distribution Services - Parking Near Me - Irvine, California

UC Irvine parking is horrible. It is freaken expensive and they always sell more tickets than parking spots, especially by the science library lot -_-' there are days were every single spot is filled, even if the students are willing to park far And at UC Irvine, I think you're LUCKY if you're getting a parking ticket. I have many many friends who have been TOWED for quickly parking in a spot for 5-10minutes. However!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In their defense, I believe people who park without permits DESERVE to get tickets. Every time they are occupying a space, they are not hurting the 'system' but they are hurting a fellow student who actually paid for the spot. I pay for my shit, and that doesnt make me happy, but you should too!! Just because they suck ass, that doesnt make breaking laws a right thing!! read more

If a student at UCI it's no doubt that you're familiar with the strict regimen followed by Transportation Services. With that being said, you should know there is almost no hope of being able to either finesse, nor void the possibility of getting a ticket (and possibly further unruly consequences) if intending to park on campus without permission. I would like to formerly give a shout out to the Adjudication Officer, Amie Chick, for ensuring my belief that there is always help if the correct steps are taken when seeking it. Give her a damn raise too. The five stars stem from my appreciation of the customer service experience I encountered, not UCI Transportation Services. Do better University of California, Irvine... read more

Parking at UCI and AROUND UCI is terrible. Story 1: During lunch time, I left campus to go get lunch with a friend. I come back to Social Science Parking Structure to look for a spot. THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO SPOTS. I saw the same cars circling the structure like me probably 5-6+ times. 45 minutes later, no parking? Even on the top floor? How is that even possible? I ended up just dropping off my friend where he needed to be and decided to find a spot in the BioSci parking.. Took me another 20 minutes just to find a spot FAR AWAY I might add & had to pay for an hour before it turned three so I could park there with my permit. Why am I paying so much for parking if I can't even get any? THE PRICES EVEN INCREASED THIS QUARTER TOO! Goodness. Story 2: For work, I had to drop off a lot of heavy stuff so they gave me a "day permit" which works in any unmarked spot and any lot. So I fill it out with the day of the week & the date, in my rush, I put the wrong date -___- so I just cross off the 8 and put a 9 (the day of the week was right!) I come back and get TWO tickets: one for not having a permit and one for forging a permit. I also got a ticket the night before even though I DID HAVE A PERMIT AND IT WAS 9PM SO I COULD PARK ANYWHERE. So I had a total of $400+ in tickets. I tried to appeal it, didn't work. I even brought in the permit to show them and the two guys at the desk agreed with me! I also dislike VDC parking and such, they're awful. Hint: If you don't have to have a car on campus for the first two years, don't. If I could give UCI parking less than one star, I would. read more

Least helpful office I have ever spoken to. I got a parking error that said to contact them to resolve and they told me there is nothing they can do it about it. They basically told me oh well you will just have to pay the daily rate (which is $15 a day) instead of helping me get in contact with the correct people. read more

UCI parking is notorious for giving out parking tickets. its a no mercy policy. Those parking fairies are there just to make your life a living hell. Also, if you wanna try and refute a parking ticket, good luck. it's like talking to a brick. If you park at vdc without a permit, you will get a ticket If you park at ssps for like 10 minutes without a permit, you will get a ticket. if you park behind the science library without a permit, you will get a ticket. think about parking at mesa parking lot w/o permit for 5 minutes just to run to get something at bren center, you will get a ticket... Also parking on any given day in any structure, is horrendous. When i used to attend UCI, i usually find myself going to the top of ssps because there are no spots available. it received another star because i heard they upgraded their transportation shuttles and buses. (it's a shame that they upgraded when i graduated) In addition, i heard they also shuttle people to and from newport beach. read more

While I do agree the Parking Department could change a few rules around, Amie Chick (adjudication officer) was AMAZING. I had THREE parking tickets that I've accrued and couldn't pay off due to financial situations that amounted to over 300 dollars. I went in the office not fully knowing what to expect (maybe a payment plan) but I set up a meeting with Amie and she was extremely friendly and helpful. Obviously I wasn't expecting all of the fines to magically go away but she heard my situation out and did her best to accommodate. She was super understanding and nice!! read more

Because I do hate parking and transportation so much I want to share this story: The film students just about had it because we cannot load 50+lbs of equipment by ourselves without getting a ticket. Transportation rather have us break our backs heaving it to the bus stop or the nearest parking lot (student center). If we parked at the nearest possible area, it would take a roundtrip of an hour, versus something we can do in 5 mins right outside. I come back in 5 mins to see a guy writing a citation. He said "too late, already wrote it." BUT he spends another 5 minutes filling it out because, really, the liar only wrote the date. The least you can do is either let it go or help a struggling lady put the equipment in the car. So I ratted him out to Humanities, who told Transportation, and BAM. 1 month later we got ourselves a loading zone. Every day when I pass by someone is using it, proving that a lot of people needed this and no one will have to get a stupid ticket over it again. So, the lesson here to learn is Parking and Transportation is NOT always right, only after the money, and YOU can definitely fight for it. That is all. read more

Literally the worst. I got a ticket for having two tickets that I couldn't pay on time since each ticket is $68 DOLLARS. I can barely afford to pay for tuition! On top of that, the additional ticket that was charged due to having two unpaid tickets was an extra $110 DOLLARS! In total it added up to almost $250 worth of tickets! WHAT IS THIS??!!! You can't ticket someone for having two other tickets?!!! Literally making money FOR NO REASON. The passes for resident are $101 a month, which is only limited to certain zones! Such a waste. I am paying a ton of money to go to school, at least give us a better deal, better yet, DON'T TICKET US FOR UNREASONABLE THINGS! read more

Adjudication Officer Amie Chick and Employee Stephanie really helped me out when I needed it. Thank you all so much. Although parking costs a lot at UCI and could be lowered, these people did hear me out and it meant a lot! read more

Literally takes 45minutes every day to find parking, yet there are always many AR and P spots open. Why did UCI add more AR when there are more students and commuters? We need to change this. People pay 200+ a quarter and aren't even guaranteed parking... read more

You guys are significantly terrible and inconsiderate in regards to your services, how particular things are executed, and conflict management. We are simply college students struggling in all aspects, especially financially; yet, tickets are handed out left and right abundantly like it's nothing. $70 for a "mistake" is absolutely absurd. We ain't rich y'all. Perhaps if violation tickets are substantially cheaper, people would not be as livid. In the most crucial circumstances where students are in NO wrong whatsoever/did not park in permitted areas, there would still be a violation ticket provided. Further, when attempting to appeal the unjustified ticket and enabled the opportunity to elaborate on the reasonings, citations seem to rarely be overturned; rather, students' situations pertaining to the matters are inherently dismissed. The constant disregard for proper enforcement when necessary merely reinforces the ignorance, along with the prevalently evident lack of understanding and care of the people working within this department. The incompetence in addition to the absence of efficiency and efficacy is prominently exuded through the actions you impose. Why is there consistency pertaining to how often tickets are bestowed upon, but not present during the times support would be appreciated? Incorporate that energy when encountering all other situations. How do y'all manage to search for or be at peace knowing that the student did not deserve a ticket whatsoever? Even if individuals do indeed "violate" the regulations, why not aim to comprehend the specific circumstances of why and what prompted the student to essentially "violate" the rules. What is the whole purpose of the appeal process when you do not invest in the time to read the appeal itself nor ultimately attain some sense or form of understanding with students' conditions? Improvements need to be rendered. Do better. read more

got a parking ticket for parking in the wrong lot with a parking pass, the officer decided to give me 2 tickets because i apparently had another ticket to pay off.... wanna come to a school that you still get ticketed for even though you paid for a $400 parking pass and get another ticket on top of that for having other parking tickets, then come here. mind you this was on finals weekend (sunday). great job uci update: just got another ticket for paying for a parking pass for the day and parked in the stalll nex to meter, apparently correct stall was in a different parking lot and now i owe $125 when i have a parking pass for the quarter and paid for the day pass since i left my pass at home!!! emailed and called them and didnt do anything about it. had to call them 14 times in a row for them to answer!! read more

I have a permit to park in the Mesa parking structure, which is on the west side of campus and was completely unaware of the fact that the supposed traffic "impacts" for a recent jiu jitsu competition meant that my entire zone was full. The "overflow" parking is on the east side of campus (another 10-15 minute drive plus parking). I was forced to pay to park in the SSPS to avoid being late to my classes. No refunds are allowed on the full-day permits, which is honestly shocking that they do not provide any waiver for students impacted by traffic from non-academic events. The supervisor I spoke with was not helpful, but apologetic. My suggestion is to avoid parking on campus all together, because even the supervisor admitted they can't keep track of all events that may potentially have traffic and parking impacts. Had they given out proper warning to students via email or text, I could have avoided this frustrating and unfair situation. Do better TDS... read more

I wanted to speak to someone about my appeal. But apparently none of them come into the office to DO THEIR JOB. And none of the workers there have any idea when those people are supposed to come into the office. NOBODY. So they charge egregious fees and then don't come into the office to handle them. UCI Parking is absolutely useless. read more

After suffering for years at the hands of these merciless tyrants, consider this review my revenge. 1. Parking at VDC. Wait, I have to pay hundreds of dollars extra to park where I'm already paying rent? I've lived in 3 different apartments since graduating and have yet to face this issue. 2. No free parking at the ARC. I have to pay to park at a gym where a portion of my tuition is already being funneled. BRILLIANT. 3. Contesting a parking ticket? Good luck with that. Better chance of curing cancer. 4. Need to leave your car unattended (with the emergency lights on) for a minute to drop something off? They're waiting in the bushes. 5. They wanted to cancel the Newport shuttle. I don't think this plan went through due to student outrage, but shame on them for even considering it. 6. The parking tickets aren't even reasonable. How does a $60 fine sound? 7. The general parking situation just sucks. I was happy when I didn't have to park on the top floor. 8. The parking "officers" are vindictive and definitely out to get you. Not sure if they have a quota or are just mean-spirited people, but damn... I can't believe that I applied for a job here when I was a freshman. A year later, I received a phone call asking if I was still interested. About that... read more

If there was a 0 rating, I would give. This is the 3rd time I have a citation from UCI Parking and Transportation and each time, it all says "No Valid Permit Displayed". My permit was on the freaking dashboard, wow, such visibility. Two out of the Three times I got cited was during finals week. I, a current UCI student, already stress out enough from finals and I don't need another stress from someone else making a mistake. Everytime too I have to go through an appeal process and the return email is pretty much "sorry citation is voided". I'm sure Professionalism should also come when you represent an Academic Institution. In addition, I have a R-CT permit, which means Resident - Commuter Permit. CT means then I can park anywhere on the map that says CT. And yes, APS is a CT parking lot, why would it not if it's next to student's housing, Middle Earth. Either who, the Permit is CLEARLY VALID there checking from the map on the WEBSITE! What's more fun is that the box that said "photo" is checked...wonder when they enter it to the system...they see the permit there on the photo...as if they only need visual presentation to see it and in person presentation is not VIRTUAL ENOUGH. Geez. I know I'm sarcastic, but seriously, if a wrong citation is accidentally written, at least write a note or something saying you made a mistake and not worry about it. This is just complete buzzard. read more

They gave me a 69 dollar citation because I didn't have a permit. I HAD A PERMIT. SHOWN SMACK DAB HANGING ON MY REARVIEW MIRROR. Here's the great part... I caught the person to cited my car and showed them my permit. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't look closely" "Well can you take it off? I don't want to deal with emailing and having to PROVE my permit when you did your job wrong" "Oh.. sorry I can't when it's submitted, it's submitted, you're going to have to appeal." .....................................................rly I fucking hate uci because of this shit. It's 300 dollars approx a quarter, I get tickets left and right (I've probably gotten close to 12 tickets) when my permit is there. It's a waste of my time and effort. The best part is when I appeal, sometimes it approves (Thank God...). Sometimes I have to pay for HALF the ticket, when it's not my fault. read more

Honestly, can there be an option to give out negative reviews? because UCI Parking and Transportation deserves negative 5 stars. It's 9:30 PM on a Friday night. I've bought my parking permit and it's displayed on the dashboard. I park in an AR spot because it's after 5 PM. I go to the pub to catch up with old college friends. I come back to my car and theres a ticket waiting. It was waiting to kill my Friday night mood, along with my weekend. Apparently the AR spot was in the enforced 24 hour spot.There were absolutely no clear signs at all, which is why I parked there. When I went to go look for the sign, it was located about 20 stalls down in front of 1 parking spot, in which a car was parked in. Why is it that UCI is the only school that charges for parking on weekends and evenings? All they want is your money. Scumbags. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. The parking permit I purchased for this MONTH alone is $85. $85. This is an increase from last quarter and the year before that. I'm a commuter student so I HAVE TO buy a permit. Public transpiration does not suffice nor does it exist for my route. Their reasoning for the insanely expensive parking is that they're trying to be "more green. Higher prices will compel students to carpool". HYFR! I can't carpool with anybody because I have such a busy schedule. This isn't a 9-5, we have students who come after work or work right after. Apart from this is they're ever so happy to pass out their citations. I got cited WHILE MY PERMIT WAS UP IN MY ZONE. UCI is great but the number one thing I can't wait to never have to deal with again will be this department. It's not designed with the students in mind. read more

Pricing goes up every year, at 10x faster than the typical annual inflation. Students suffered in the name of going green. Not everyone can afford an electric car, so why charge poor students driving Civics so that you can subsidize charging stations for people who could afford pricey Teslas, Priuses, Leafs with a price tag of at least $28k? This is a University, be REAL, don't rob the poor and distribute to the rich. I demand the annual spending report be published and released to the public--the commoners who drive and pay unreasonably high parking rates, while struggling to find a parking spot. There used to be a hidden knowledge that you could pay as little as $20/month for parking only at the ARC structure. But now they don't let you buy one because you are a UCI student so as far as Parking Services is concerned, you are a temporary (until graduation) cow to be milked out of money as much as possible. If GOING GREEN is an initiative, then the system should award people who're willing to park at faraway structures and walk to school. Let those who can pay for parking closer pay and create an affordable way for those who can't pay to park close park faraway. Such is the simplest HUMANE logic. I may or may not write this as a satire. read more

Not sure there's a single UCI student who would give UCI parking anything more than one star. I don't even want to think about how much money I've spent on parking permits and tickets in the past two years, because actually calculating that would make me cry. Not only is the parking police EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME, but they also do a poor job of explaining where you can and can't park. Why are they called "AR" spaces and the numbering of lots seem to be random? Beats me, UCI Parking. And day passes are SO EXPENSIVE. Like $8. Where does all this money go?! It really kills me. The fact that the kiosks are closed on weekends also makes picking up your permit a real pain, I've got tickets on early Monday mornings about 15 minutes before I picked up my new permit. Even though I had already paid for it. That also means that if your permit expires over the weekend and you don't have a chance to pick up your new one by Friday at 5, you are S.O.L. It's pretty much always worth it to contest the dang things because sometimes you will actually get a little bit of money docked off for having a valid permit somewhere else. But it's rare to get out of the whole thing entirely. One tip I can say is that if you park in the verrrry front of VDC before the actual parking lot where the parking is parallel, you won't get a ticket because they're unable to scan license plates parked there. It's small but at least it's something. I guess I have to say that they do provide the shuttles that go around campus and to Newport, which is *something* but still doesn't make up for all their wrongs. read more

Horrible! Absolutely horrible! I parked at AR after 5pm to attend a review session few quarters ago thinking that I will be fine. However, I still got a citation because apparently I parked in the enforced 24 hours spot. The signs were not clearly labeled.. Just horrible experience with UCI parking and transportation. Updated: 8/24/16 I have the summer commuter parking permit. I know my permit is only permitted to park in zone 4 and 5. However, I recently noticed that on their website they stated that summer commuter parking permit is eligible to park at all S zone. I called to ask about the discrepancy I saw. The worker was confused and told me that the website is wrong and do not follow it. The worker then told me "thank you" when I was not done talking. Simply unprofessional and rude. Please UCI transpiration office: update your damn website! read more

Hell hath no fury like a UCI student scorned. Parking is the single worst thing about UCI and reason enough to not go here. Let me explain: 1) if you can't afford to live in Irvine, be lucky enough to acquire subsidized student housing, or have a life situation such as a family or job in another part of the county, you will have to pay for parking. 2) to get a zone close to where you need to be, you need to shell out about $900 in advance to get a permit before they run out. Who has that kind of money lying around? Also, financial aid kicks in the day that classes start and most parking passes are already sold out by then. 3) if you can't get a permit, but don't know how long you'll be on campus for, they clip you $10 a day 24/7. That's $70 if you're here all the time (don't laugh, I am because I need the labs for my research). Don't ever buy less than a daily because you'll invariably end up needing to stay on campus and then get a $60! ticket for an invalid/expired parking pass. 4) You still have to pay on the weekends (they check) so thanks for penalizing me for wanting to study on campus when the structure is empty. 5) Your blood pressure will go through the roof trying to navigate the SBSG Zone 5 structure. A motorized cacophony of people darting in and out of tiny spaces, speeding around tight corners, and taking every risk possible to get into an accident. Huge trucks park in corner spots to block your view. I want to put packing peanuts around my car and saran wrap them to the bumpers whenever I'm in there. Good thing the law school is close by, you'll need a lawyer when you park there. 6) A "daily" pass is not 24 hours from the date of purchase. So if you come in at 8 pm after work, you still have to pay $10 which is good until 11:59 pm. Rip off! read more

I've been graduated for two years but they got me again. $60 for parking for literally 20 minutes. The thing that really sucks is I pay everytime I visit campus and I always pay MORE than I need to because I'm paranoid. But, it was 8:30pm on a Thursday: class wasn't in session and I was flat-out exhausted and needed to drop something off quickly. It was also my birthday, of course. They always get you when you least expect it. The ONE TIME you don't buy a $1 pass for 30 minutes and you pray to the parking gods to be nice, you'll get a ticket, I PROMISE. So don't tempt fate, or you'll end up sobbing in your car on your drive home like I did, all the while cursing at yourself. read more

Whoever runs the parking at UCI needs to be replaced. I attend basketball games at UCI and the parking garage is a complete joke. The garage gets filled up and they have about 200 spaces available on the 1st floor but they refuse to let anyone park there. In addition I have a season pass for parking but they give you a sticker and if you come in a different car they charge you $10. It is the single reason I will not support UCI. Good job parking department read more

The only thing this institution shows is GREED. I've had permits displayed on the dash and I still get ticketed? They do it for the fun of it, the workers handing out these citations must honestly live pathetic lives knowing they are citing for absolutely no reason. If you get a ticket, appeal it. Screw them. read more

6 month Update: It has been several months since UCI parking unlawfully ticketed me and towed my vehicle, despite the fact that I had purchased a valid permit to park in ECPS. Someone in UCI parking had more than doubled the fines they had given me (CDS gave me 3 tickets for the same incident...). Not only this, but the towing company, Southside towing, charged me $800 in towing fees, stacking surreptitious fees upon fees with zero transparency and an utter contempt for consumers' rights. UCI parking has cost me over $2000 in the cost of resident permits, tickets (including tickets issued for no other reason than for receiving other tickets, that are then doubled by an employee of uci parking), and the cost of my vehicle itself, which they should not have towed in the first place. UCI parking clearly exploits the UCI student population for financial gain. Examining the budget on their own website, we can clearly see that they allocate 8% of their budget to enforcement, as compared to about 1.5% on public transit. Why else are you 8x more likely to be issued illegitimate tickets than you are to catch a shuttle on time to make it to class? This department, and this department's administration, operate on the principle of greed and financial exploitation. UCI parking makes Wells Fargo seem reputable in comparison. There are hundreds of written complaints about UCI parking dating back to 2000. UCI parking is an indelible stain upon the UCI brand. -------------- read more

Service is great. Helped me figure out an alternative solution to my hang tag problem. It would always fall off and my strategy of keeping the parking pass on a sheet of paper on my dashboard was resulting in tickets. Alternative type of hang tag works much better, just don't cover it up with your state park pass like I did or you will also get a ticket :( Of course it's expensive and they love to give out citations but it's the state of California so what do you expect? read more

Let's be honest, getting a parking ticket sucks. Even if you deserve the ticket, which you probably do, the size of the fine never seems commensurate to the offense. The smarmy, self-congratulatory lecture on the back of the citation about how your dollars will be helping to pay for UCI Parking and Transportation's Green Initiative, and the threatening language in the nag notifications to pay your citation, add insult to injury. But, my recent experience requesting a citation review was an eye opening experience, and has improved my opinion of UCI Parking and Transportation. I work in LA's Westside area, which is legendary for high parking fines and the lack of an appeals process for parking citations (for which a lawsuit against LAPD was recently successful). UCI Parking and Transportation's way of handling appeals was remarkably refreshing in comparison. I hit the ARC early every morning for my first workout. A couple of weeks ago, while I was parked in a metered spot, I was late by ~20 minutes getting back to my car due to a lineup at the showers. I'd figured the risk was negligible, so got a nasty surprise when I found a $60 ticket on my windshield. Given the meters cost $1/hour, the fine seemed excessive for being 20 minutes late. This morning, I hit to www.parking.uci.edu to appeal my citation. Looking up my citation was quick, and there was a simple form to fill out to explain my situation. Within an hour of submitting the form, I received an email with the following: "After reviewing your request, citation number XXXXXXX has been cancelled as a warning. Please be forewarned that any further citations issued for 'No Valid Permit' will not be voided. Please disregard any 'Notice of Delinquency' referencing this citation." Considering what it's like trying to appeal a citation with LAPD, the ease of the appeal and the fast response bordered on magical. MAGICAL!!! Additional information on the Citation Appeal process can be found on the UCI Parking and Transportation website. http://www.parking.uci.edu/citations/appeal/ Keep in mind that I believe my appeal was successful due to the following: 1. I admitted my culpability up front. I was guilty of having an expired meter permit. Rather than BS-ing someone who has probably heard every excuse and self-justification in the book, I stuck to a brief explanation of the facts. 2. I provided extenuating circumstances. I work out at the ARC every morning and usually have no problems completing my workout on time. I ran into some unexpected delays getting out to my car that morning, which was corroborated by the fact that I was a first time offender with no history of parking citations at the ARC. (They keep records.) UCI Parking and Transportation had me dead to rights. What impressed me about them is not that they canceled my citation (although that certainly made my day). It's how easy they've made it to contact them about, or appeal, a citation. Compared to what it's like dealing with city police in the real world, or even what it was like parking on campus when I was a student, it's night and day. (I was an Anteater from 1998-2003. I lived on campus for the first few years and commuted from an Irvine apartment for the rest. I maintained alumni membership with the ARC and university library system after graduation, and am frequently on campus as an event attendee or a guest speaker.) read more

I thought I would jump in here. I am a faculty member on campus. As a faculty member on campus, I am required to pay to buy my own parking pass. In years prior, I used to buy the basic commuter parking pass. The school has changed, over the years, commuter parking spaces into "AR Reserved spaces." They have also created new parking spaces, much of which they have designated as AR Reserved spaces. We must pay extra for an AR Reserved parking pass. I now must pay $300 dollars per quarter for my UCI parking pass. There is no alternative, or free public option. If, for some reason, I am unable to pay for parking, I am unable to come to work. Period. I have cancelled classes because my parking pass had expired, and I did not want to pay for parking on a particular day. The university is additionally incentivized to hire more part-time faculty and staff, because faculty and staff must pay the same for parking, no matter if we are full or part-time. This means, often, the university will hire three part-time workers in place of where they should have hired a full-time worker. Rather than making $300 from a full-time worker needing to buy a parking pass, the university will make $900. On a school-wide scale, the university is milking hundreds of thousands of extra dollars from its own faculty and staff, as a result of its own parking situation. Solution? If (and I mean IF) you are going to charge your own faculty and staff for a parking pass, there should also be free public options available. This is what, for example, UC Riverside does. read more