Visitor Parking

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Policy Number:
UW-6146
Old Policy Number:
TS-44 | 64
Responsible Office:
Transportation Services

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Visitor parking on the UW–Madison campus may be available in parking facilities including ramps, garages, and designated surface parking stalls on campus. Visitors parking in designated campus parking stalls during the posted hours of enforcement must be in paid status. Temporary permits and visitor parking provide flexibility for short-term parking needs of faculty, staff, students, or visitors to campus. 

Scope:

Applies to anyone parking on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus without a parking permit issued by UW-Madison Transportation Services, including faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Policy:
  1. Failure to pay in full for parking on campus during a lot’s posted hours of enforcement may result in citation and tow.
  2. Visitor parking in timed (pay-by-phone) stalls may not occupy a space longer than the time designated on stall signage. Repaying on a stall beyond the designated time limit will result in citation.
  3. Vehicles may not be stored (parked without moving) for more than 72 hours without permission from UW-Madison Transportation Services. Stored vehicles are subject to citation and tow at the owner’s expense.
    • Vehicle storage applies to an entire parking facility, not just a single parking stall. Vehicles moved from stall to stall within a facility are considered stored if they remain within the facility for 72 hours. The vehicle must leave the parking facility with payment before returning to the facility.
  4. Visitors cannot park on parking facility rooftops from 2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. during snow removal restriction period between November 15 and March 15 each year. Refer to transportation.wisc.edu for details.
  5. If a temporary or reserved visitor parking permit grants access to a gated lot (garage or ramp), the permit holder is responsible for using the permit to enter the gated lot. UW-Madison Transportation Services collects information from the gate system and staff are not authorized to raise the gate for customers unless the gate system is malfunctioning. 

Vistor Parking Options

  1. Hourly parking is available for visitors in gated garages/ramps across campus by pulling a ticket on entrance and paying upon exit.
  2. Timed (pay-by-phone) parking stalls are a short-term parking option in surface lots around campus. Payment is processed through the third-party vendor ParkMobile. Failure to correctly register a parking session in ParkMobile may result in citation. 
    1. Vehicles parking at the Lakeshore Nature Preserve (Lot 130) must pay at the Pay-on-Foot machines located in the lot, indicating their license plate number and the amount of time they wish to stay in the lot.
  3. Motorcycles may park in any timed (pay-by-phone) parking stall. Only one motorcycle may park in a space designated for automobiles. Motorcycles parking in gated parking facilities are limited to locations with designated timed motorcycle parking stalls.
  4. Mopeds may park in surface lots with timed (pay-by-phone) parking stalls. Only one moped may be parked in a space designated for automobiles and must be in paid status during the lot’s hours of control. Mopeds are prohibited from bypassing gate systems in gated parking facilities.
  5. Temporary parking permits are available in select lots across campus based on space availability. Temporary permits are valid for parking in a specific lot, date, and time. Temporary parking permits are available at least two weeks prior to the date of a planned visit. Temporary parking permits must be purchased at a UW-Madison Transportation Services office. A valid temporary parking permit must be displayed at all times during the hours the lot is enforced.
    1. Temporary permits are sold at a daily, half/day, or monthly rate. Refer to transportation.wisc.edu for rates. These products are valid during the following timeframes:
      • Half day permit (A.M.) - valid 12:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
      • Half day permit (P.M.) - valid 11:30 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.
      • Night permit - valid 4:30 p.m. – 11:59 p.m.
      • Full day permit - valid 12:01 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.
      • Monthly permits - valid 12:01 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. Good for 30 days [limited availability; only available to UW employees, employees of affiliated agencies, students, and the public]
    2. Temporary parking permits are subject to a 50% return fee if the permits are returned at least two full business days prior to the scheduled date of use. Temporary permits returned after this timeline will not be refunded. Monthly permits are non-refundable.
  6. Reserved visitor parking permits are sold on a space-available basis for certain campus lots. A reserved visitor parking permit is valid for a specific lot, date, and time. Reserved visitor parking permits are intended for use by campus visitors. Reserved visitor parking permits are subject to a 50% return fee if the permits are returned at least two full business days prior to the scheduled date of use. Reserved visitor parking permits returned after this timeline will not be refunded.
    1. The UW-Madison Transportation Services Special Events unit sells reserved visitor parking permits. Permit requests may be submitted between two months and a minimum of two weeks prior to the date needed. Any requests made outside of this timetable are not considered. Orders can be placed online or over the phone. Payment is required with all permit orders.
    2. Reserved visitor parking permit options are listed below. Refer to transportation.wisc.edu for rates:
      • Half-day permit (A.M.) - valid 12:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
      • Half-day permit (P.M.) - valid 11:30 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.
      • Night permit - valid 4:30 p.m. – 11:59 p.m.
      • Full day permit - valid 12:01 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.
    3. Reserved visitor parking permits are subject to a 50% return fee if the permits are returned at least two (2) full business days prior to the scheduled date of use. Any permits returned after this timeline will not be refunded.
  7. Emeriti passes are offered to former University of Wisconsin-Madison employees in emeriti status.
    1. Emeriti passes function as a free visitor parking pass in visitor garages/ramps and are valid for 24 uses during the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). UW-Madison Transportation Services provides the pass free of charge. Emeriti are limited to one pass per fiscal year.
    2. The emeriti pass does not guarantee a stall if the visitor garage/ramp sign indicates that the lot is “Full.”
    3. Emeriti passes are not valid in lots reserved for special events.
    4. Emeriti employed in any capacity by the University of Wisconsin-Madison may participate in the annual priority parking assignment system and purchase a base lot, Flex, UW Accessible, or park & ride permit. Emeriti may also purchase a night, afternoon, motorcycle, or moped permit, based on availability. 

Restrictions

  • Hours of control are listed at the entry of all campus surface lots. Refer to the lot entrance sign for hours of control.
  • If the visitor stalls in a lot are full, visitors should relocate to the next available facility with visitor parking. The availability of stalls in gated parking facilities can be found on the UW-Madison Transportation Services website.
  • Temporary permits are not valid on buses or mini coaches.
  • Permits will not be issued to applicants with a history of any misuse of permits.
  • Visitor parking is not valid in restricted areas, such as: fire lanes, reserved stalls, surface lot motorcycle stalls, service/vendor stalls, loading zones, construction areas, sidewalks, disabled access aisles, driveways, and grass areas. Unless otherwise noted, those parking with permits in restricted areas may be subject to citation or tow at the owner’s expense.
  • Temporary permits and reserved visitor parking permits are not valid in restricted areas, such as: fire lanes, timed parking stalls, reserved stalls, disabled stalls without a state DOT permit, disabled stall access aisles, loading zones, construction areas, sidewalks, driveways, and grass areas. Unless otherwise noted those parking with permits in restricted areas may be subject to citation and tow at the owner’s expense.
  • UW-Madison Transportation Services has the right to reserve lots/ramps for event parking on campus. Parking may be sold in advance or at the lot entrance on a first-come, first-served basis. Lots restricted for an event will be posted at the lot entrance.
  • UW-Madison Transportation Services has the authority to close a lot for construction, maintenance, or safety issues. Visitors will be notified in advance of lot closures, whenever possible. Visitors may be relocated at any time.
  • Vehicles may not be stored (parked without moving) for more than 72 hours without permission from UW-Madison Transportation Services. Stored vehicles are subject to citation and tow at the owner’s expense.
  • Vehicles using altered or counterfeit temporary permits or invalid reserved visitor parking permits are subject to citation and tow at the owner’s expense.
  • Failure to follow UW-Madison Transportation Services policies may result in revoked parking privileges.  
Related UW-Madison Policies:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Assistant Vice Chancellor of UW-Madison Transportation Services
Policy Manager:
Director of Transportation Operations
Contact:
Assistant Director of Parking Services -- David Berland, david.berland@wisc.edu, (608) 263-6667
Effective Date:
03-01-2017
Revised Dates:

03-01-2003, 03-01-2005, 03-01-2006, 03-01-2012, 04-01-2018, 11-10-2022, 08-02-2023

Retrieved:
10-12-2024 14:20:21