Parking permits for returning on-site

a car entering the security entrance of USC

Check out this important announcement from USC Transportation:

USC is undergoing a planning process that will see many of us return to our physical workspaces on a full or part-time basis in the coming weeks and months. In anticipation of this, USC Transportation will introduce new parking permit options and resume charging for parking permits on July 1, 2021. Please review the information carefully and contact us with any questions.

Purchasing Permits

All current employee parking permits will expire on June 30, 2021. We are asking all employees who are planning to park on campus to purchase a new permit online through the USC Transportation website at   www.usc.edu/transportation. Click on “Parking” in the header and select “Access my Account” on the drop-down menu. From there you can then access, or create, your account using your ten-digit USC ID, and purchase a permit from the options available. Although parking charges will resume in July, please note you do not have to buy a permit on July 1 – you can always purchase a permit when you return to campus according to your unit plans. Permit prices are available hereNOTE: To pay for your permit using USC payroll deduction, please select “Payroll Monthly Pre-Tax Charge” from the “Select Payment Method” menu.

New 2- and 3-Day Value Permits

In our most recent transit survey, employees requested new parking permit options. In response, we have created two new permits intended for use by employees who only come to campus a few times per week. They are the 2-Day/week Value Permit and the 3-Day/week Value Permit, which appear below the list of normal permit options available online.

These new permits may be purchased either using a credit card or via payroll deduction and can be printed from home and displayed on your vehicle’s windshield. Hang-tags will not be issued for these new value permits, you will need to print them yourself. These permits will only be valid through December 31, 2021, so that we have an opportunity to evaluate this new program and make any needed changes in the Spring. The 2-Day/week Value Permit costs $44 per month and the 3-Day/week Value Permit is $66 per month. Unused days from a given week can be rolled over from one week to the next, but only within a given month; they do not roll over from one month to the next.

These new value permits will be valid in three UPC locations: USC Shrine Structure, Figueroa Structure, and Grand Avenue Structure. They are not valid in any of the on-campus structures. Once parking demand stabilizes, we hope to be able to offer an on-campus option for these value permits. At HSC, these value permits are only valid for Lot 71 on Zonal Street.

Alternate Transportation

For those employees who use alternate means of transportation to come to campus, we will continue to offer a 50% subsidy for all public transit options – please click here to apply.  We also invite all employees to explore our transit hub, Traveler.  Finally, we’ve added a new Commuter Cost Calculator to our website, which details how much money you might be able to save by choosing a transit commute instead of driving your car to campus.

F.A.Q.

Q: I can’t access my Transportation account through the website or I’m having password issues. 

A: Please email us at auxtrans@usc.edu for assistance and/or to request that your password be reset. Please include your ten-digit USC ID number in all communications.

Q: Why is the location where I want to park not listed online?

A: Only locations with availability will appear on your list of options. Your preferred location may not be available at the time of purchase; please make a selection from the permit locations listed.

Q: What if I want to use more than one vehicle to drive to campus?

A: All permits must be linked to one primary vehicle. As an employee, you have the option of adding up to two additional vehicles to your account.

Q: What if I only drive to campus once a week, or four times a week?

A: If you only drive to campus once a week, please plan to stop at a manned entrance/structure and purchase a daily pass for $14. If you are only visiting campus for a short period, you may use one of the pay-by-plate areas in the McCarthy Structure or Lot 6 at UPC; Lot 71, Soto, or O’Neil Lot at HSC. If you are on campus four times a week or more, you should purchase a normal permit in an available location.

Q: If I come to campus fewer days/week than my value permit is for (e.g., zero times, or only once), do the unused days roll over to the following week?

A: Yes, they do, but ONLY during a given calendar month – unused days will not roll over from one month to the next. At the end of each month, we will charge employees who exceeded the collective total of their weekly permit $14/day for each additional day used. Example: If a 2-day/week permit were used 10 times in September (which has 4.5 weeks), the user would be charged for one additional day through USC Payroll.

Q: How can I reach you with other questions?

A: Please try our online chat feature at www.usc.edu/transportation (available 9:00am-4:00pm Monday through Friday) or email us at auxtrans@usc.edu.