Return to Campus

As students, staff and faculty return to campus this month, many have started thinking about their commute again. This page provides information to help you plan how you will get to and from campus.

UPDATE: Student parking permit waitlist in effect

There is currently a waitlist for student parking permit requests. Please check your email for an offer. In the meantime, consider carpooling to take advantage of our carpool incentives including reserved parking spots for Liftango app users and a reserved parking lot for those arranging their own carpools. For more information on carpooling and other transportation options at UBC, see below. 

Public transit has always been the most common way to get to and from campus, but we are hearing concerns about taking transit and that some people plan to drive instead. Parking on campus is limited and the potential of more people driving to campus means that finding parking will be challenging. 

On this page, you will learn more about:

  1. TransLink’s current safety plans and service levels for this fall
  2. Carpooling options and support
  3. Biking tips
  4. Driving and parking information
  5. Ride-hailing on campus

Looking for UBC Okanagan information? Visit the UBC Okanagan website to learn more about getting to and from campus this fall. 

  • TransLink is continuing to follow provincial health orders including the reinstatement of wearing masks on public transit and at stations and bus stops. Visit the TransLink website for the most up to date information.
  • UBC is working closely with TransLink to ensure they understand the concerns the UBC community has raised about public transit. Many of these topics, including how TransLink has responded to COVID-19 and how to travel safely, are addressed in TransLink’s Rider Guide. 
  • TransLink has released its winter schedule, which will result in transit service changes to some routes to UBC. Additionally, TransLink’s Trip Planner tool is up and running and there is a new Transit app offering a predictive seat availability feature that will enable customers to understand how many seats are likely to be available on upcoming buses. You can find more information about this at: translink.ca/capacity.
  • If you have questions about trip planning, safety, or concerns about TransLink services, reach out to their Customer Information team via phone 604 953 3333 or Live Chat accessed via translink.ca/contact. In addition to getting you an answer, sharing your questions with TransLink helps the organization understand the needs and concerns of its customers so that it can adapt its services and information sharing.
     

Consider biking to campus a few days a week.  It’s convenient, inexpensive, and healthy. Visit the cycling resource page for tips on cycling to campus, including maps and information about secure places to lock your bike. For those who live too far from campus to bike, consider combining a bike trip with public transit to shorten your ride. Visit the TransLink website to learn more about taking your bike on transit. 

TIP: If you do bike on campus, the pedestrian priority zone on campus is a SLOW ZONE. Cyclists, please share the space with pedestrians, or if you are in a hurry use parallel routes such as West Mall, East Mall, Crescent Road and Agronomy Road. 

  • Carpooling offers many benefits including cost savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions. To encourage carpooling, UBC has partnered with Liftango and TransLink to help the UBC community form carpools at no cost. All that is required is a UBC affiliated e-mail to sign up. UBC will be offering reserved parking as an incentive to encourage people to use the app to carpool. More details on this program can be found on the UBC Parking website.  
  • The BC Centre for Disease Control has some helpful tips on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 while travelling with people outside your household. 

There are a range of parking locations, as well as rates and permits for parking on campus including a new 10-day multipack pass for staff and faculty.

If you are planning to drive to campus, please keep the following in mind: 

  • Parking on campus is limited.
  • A parking permit does not guarantee you a parking spot. You are encouraged to review parking availability before driving to campus. 
  • Do not purchase any one-day permits or redeem any of your multipack passes until you find parking on-campus. This will help avoid frustrations if you don’t find parking that day. 
  • If you are getting dropped-off and picked-up by a friend or family member, please use one of the designated areas on campus to not negatively impact pedestrians, public transit, and cyclists and to avoid being ticketed. 

If you decide to use a ride-hailing company like Uber or Lyft, become familiar with the designated ride-hail spots for pick-up and drop-off on campus and safe operating requirements, including wearing a mask.

Visit these helpful resource pages to learn more about alternative modes of transportation at UBC.