Graduate Student Employee Incentives

UCI is required to reduce vehicle trips and commute emissions created by the campus community. To encourage graduate students employees to try a sustainable commute, UCI Transportation offers a variety of incentives, such as rebates on train tickets, discounted OC Bus passes, campus shuttle service, and a guaranteed ride home program.

To join the Sustainable Transportation program and receive ST participation incentives, graduate students must:

• Be actively enrolled as a graduate student at UC Irvine
• Be employed by UCI with an active appointment and report to a worksite on the UCI Main Campus where a parking permit is required.
• Note: Employees reporting to UCI Research Park and University Town Center do not qualify.
• Not possess an individual long-term (one month or longer) UCI parking permit
• Utilize your chosen sustainable commute mode (walk, bike, bus, carpool, shuttle, train, drop-off, telecommute) for the majority of your commute.
  • Note: Those who use a drive-alone vehicle for the majority of the distance travelled do not qualify.
• Register for membership via UCI Transportation’s myCommute portal

Refer to our step-by-step guide on how to sign up for the ST Membership program.

ST Membership registrations are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Our Employee Transportation Coordinators process registrations as efficiently as possible, but please allow seven days for your application to be processed. A waiting period of a week or longer may occur during high-impact times (such as late-June and the month of July).

ST Incentive Parking Permits

On the rare occasion you may need to park on campus, UCI Transportation offers incentive parking permits each month you are an active ST member. Incentive parking permits are valid in any unmarked or 'AR' reserved parking stall, with the exception of Lot 80. As a reminder, UCI requires a valid parking permit at all times when parked on campus lots and structures.

Any permits not used by the end of the fiscal year will not be carried over with membership renewals. The number of incentive parking permits resets at the beginning of the new fiscal year on July 1.

Sustainable Transportation parking incentives, rebates, and products are non-transferable. Failure to practice good conduct and abuse of incentives will result in revocation of membership and incentive privileges.

*Restrictions apply. Review details on the telecommute program.
**Restrictions apply. Review details on the train rebate program.
†Restrictions apply. Review details on drop-off incentives.

Evening/Weekend Permits (Grad Pass)

In addition to the ST incentive parking permits, graduate students who are both ST members and official residents (on the lease) in Palo Verde, Verano Place, Puerta del Sol, Camino del Sol, Vista del Campo, and Vista del Campo Norte communities will receive 5 evening/weekend Grad Pass permits each month. These permits allow occasional evening/weekend parking and may be managed within myCommute.

Grad Pass permits are valid Monday-Friday from 6 p.m. - 6:59 a.m. and all day on weekends, and may only be accessed via myCommute during those hours.

Rules for Permit Use

• Permits received through the Sustainable Transportation program are valid in any unmarked or 'AR' reserved parking stall, with the exception of Lot 80, Service, X, P, disabled stalls without also displaying a disabled placard, pay by space, or metered stalls.
• Incentive permits are earned monthly and are issued every 30 days. Any unused ST incentive permits are rolled over into the next month.
• Any permit(s) not used by the end of each fiscal year (June 30th) do not carry over to the following year.
• Sustainable Transportation parking incentives, rebates, and products are non-transferable.
• Sustainable Transportation parking incentives are ineligible for use in any parking reciprocity agreements.
• Failure to practice good conduct and abuse of incentives may result in revocation of program participation and incentive privileges.

Retrieving Parking Permits

VIRTUAL PERMIT INCENTIVE

Virtual incentive permits are managed through your myCommute account with your UCInetID and password. An incentive permit will be deducted from your ST Membership each day you mark that you are parking on campus. On the day you decide to park on campus, you must:

1. Login into myCommute on the day you wish to park.
2. Click the button stating "Activate your permit before parking on campus today"
3. Select the date(s) you will park on campus
4. Confirm that the information is accurate

Same-day vehicle registration may be updated once per day in your myCommute account. Failure to activate your permit in myCommute on the day you park on campus will result in citation(s).

GRAD PASS PERMIT

Virtual Grad Pass permits are managed through your myCommute account with your UCInetID and password. A Grad Pass permit will be deducted from your ST Membership each day you mark that you are parking on campus. On the day you decide to park on campus, you must:

1. Login into myCommute on the day you wish to park.
2. Click the button stating "Activate your permit before parking on campus today"
3. Select the date you will park on campus
4. Confirm that the information is accurate

Same-day vehicle registration may be updated once per day in your myCommute account. Failure to activate your permit in myCommute on the day you park on campus will result in citation(s). Your Grad Pass will not be available to activate any time Monday through Friday before 6:00pm.

Cancelling your ST Membership

You may cancel your Sustainable Transportation Membership through your myCommute account.

Guaranteed Ride Home

Active ST members may receive a guaranteed ride home in case of illness or emergency. UCI Transportation will make the necessary arrangements for the employee to travel home or to another destination, free of charge. This may be used for a maximum of two occurrences in a single academic year.

To request a guaranteed ride home, call 949-824-5060. When possible, please make arrangements prior to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hour arrangements may be made at 949-824-2691.