How to Participate in a Carpool

All faculty, staff, and students who live off campus can participate in the carpool program. Undergraduates and Extension students must join during the first 6 weeks of the quarter.

• Save time: Carpools use high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.
• Save money: Share the cost of an annual permit, gas, and vehicle maintenance.
• Park free when necessary: If you sometimes need to drive, an Occasional Use permit allows 10 free days of parking per quarter.
• Park in reserved carpool spaces: Receive a reserved carpool space access sticker when you have 3 or more carpool members.
• Emergency rides home: Register in advance for Guaranteed Ride Home, a SANDAG program that provides rides in case of illness, unscheduled overtime, or family emergencies. Registered users, dial 511 when you need a ride.
• Drive shared vehicles: Pay no Zipcar application fee and receive rental credits (when you meet UCSD eligibility requirements).

Some limitations apply. Read below for guidelines or contact Commute Solutions with questions about your eligibility to receive incentives.

Each carpool:

• Consists of 2–4 eligible members committed to carpooling daily; proof of appropriately sized vehicle(s) required for larger groups
• Must purchase — and share — a single valid multiyear, annual, or student quarterly weekday hangtag parking permit
• Has a primary driver, though members can share driving responsibilities
• Can park in reserved carpool spaces if the carpool has 3 or more members (see carpool parking map)
• Must register at the campus or Hillcrest parking office to receive incentives
• Please turn off vehicle when waiting more than 30 seconds for carpool riders to arrive.

Carpool registration is free. Members decide how to share the cost of the following:

• One required annual parking permit
• Gas
• Vehicle maintenance

• Find other UCSD faculty or staff looking to carpool, on your own or using the online UCSD Ride-Matching Service.
• Register your carpool at either of these locations:
  • Campus parking office (Commute Solutions desk), Gilman Parking Structure
  • Hillcrest Medical Center parking office, Bachman Parking Structure
• Register the owner of the annual permit as the primary driver, who then submits an approved list of carpool members.
  • The primary driver must approve each member in the carpool.
  • At least 3 members must register to receive a reserved carpool space access sticker.
• Check campus mail for your complimentary Occasional Use parking permit, which is sent automatically each quarter after establishing your carpool. If no mail code is on file, your permit is held for pickup at the campus or Hillcrest parking office. (Undergraduate and Extension students must do so within the first 6 weeks of the quarter.) To pick up a permit, bring:
  • Valid UCSD ID
  • Proof of current vehicle registration for up to 3 vehicles. (Vehicles must be registered to you, a family member, or an eligible domestic partner at a single address.)
  • Documentation of class schedule (undergraduates only)
  Contact Commute Solutions to update your registered vehicles when necessary.

Occasional Use permits issued by Commute Solutions:

• Are not issued to the registered annual permit holder. However, the annual permit holder can register one vehicle on the Occasional Use permit of one fellow carpool member, for use when the permit owner needs to park but cannot carpool.
• Allow parking for the vehicle(s) officially documented on the permit only. To add a vehicle, bring your registration to Commute Solutions.
• Are displayed in the same way as those purchased from the parking office. Review How to Display Your Parking Permit.
• Expire at the end of each quarter, with no carryover of unused parking
• Are nontransferable. A permit cannot be shared, sold, or given away. Only the carpool partners who were issued the permits can use them.
• Are not valid in spaces posted “Reserved for Carpool.” For accepted spaces, read your permit or Where and When to Park.