Where can I park on UK campus during the summer? Rules for visitors & students
With the University of Kentucky moving into its summer sessions, and fewer people on campus until August, the hunt for a parking spot at the university becomes a little easier.
But which lots and garages are open for campus visitors and students to use?
Summer parking rules are in effect from now to Aug. 9. Specific information about parking on campus is available on UK’s website. Because there are fewer people on campus in the summer, normal parking operations change slightly — but that doesn’t mean parking is open everywhere. In most cases, a parking pass still is needed on campus, or visitors will need to pay to park.
It’s important to pay attention to signage when parking during the summer, because some lots change their permit requirements. Regulations for parking will be posted at the entrance of each lot or parking garage.
Here’s what to know about parking on campus during the summer semester:
Where can I park if I’m not a student?
Campus visitors can pay for short-term parking in any of the visitor lots and garages on campus.
The Cornerstone Garage and Sports Center Garage are open to visitors. It costs $2 per hour, with a $16 maximum per exit, to park in the garages. Additionally, temporary day parking passes can be purchased from Transportation Services by calling 859-257-5757.
The Bill Gatton Student Center and W.T. Young Library Visitor parking lots are also open to campus visitors, and cost $2 per hour.
If you’re just stopping by campus for a few minutes, meters are available across UK, most for a maximum of 45 minutes. The meters accept coins, with some also accepting credit and debit cards and a text-to-pay option.
Where can I park if I am a student?
Students who will be parking on campus over the summer will need a summer permit, which authorizes them to park in most student lots, the Cornerstone Garage and parking lots in the Scott Street area.
Summer permits can only be purchased at the Transportation Services office, 721 Press Ave., or over the phone by calling 859-257-5757. They cost $10.50 per week and can be purchased for the specific number of weeks needed.
The top two floors of the Hilltop Avenue Garage are open to people with any valid UK parking permit, including summer permits and employee permits. The first two floors of the garage remain restricted to E2 and R2 permits, however.
Employee lots and parking structures are still restricted to employee permits over the summer, but open up to all valid parking permits in non-peak hours (typically after 3:30 p.m. on weekdays). Lots will have signs at the entrance indicating their hours.
Where can I park on the weekends?
Parking regulations may change on the weekends, depending on the lot or garage, meaning more places to park.
Most employee and student commuter lots do not require a permit on weekends. There are some exceptions, but some lots have more flexible parking options between 3:30 p.m. on Fridays until 5 a.m. on Mondays.
Before parking, check the area for signs that indicate any restrictions on the lot or garage. Additionally, parking may be reserved on campus during weekend events, which could impact parking options.
Some lots are permit-controlled 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including all employee reserved lots, the Nutter Center lot and the Memorial Coliseum residential areas. A full list of lots and garages that are constantly permit-restricted is available on the UK transportation website.
Can I still take the on-campus bus?
Some campus buses run limited hours during the summer. The blue, white and green bus routes run between 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The yellow route does not run during the summer, and will resume normal operations before the start of the fall semester. The orange route, which operates for UK HealthCare, runs as normal during the summer, although it does not run on the Memorial Day, Juneteenth or Independence Day holidays.
