The safety of our campus commuters is paramount in our operations and Commuter Services is implementing several transportation-related changes in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the health and safety of the university community.

Additionally, the impact of Wednesday’s sizable earthquake has also had an impact on commuter activity as it relates to TRAX and Frontrunner trains. While operations were restored after the quake’s initial impact, that has and may continue to change. Please check UTA’s website or Twitter feed for the latest updates.

Temporary Open Parking Locations on Campus

In an effort to support our medical staff and those not comfortable riding public transportation, we have opened three of our largest parking lots to non-permit holders and visitors. Each has a convenient shuttle stop on site, easily connecting people with the hospital, TRAX or wherever they need to go throughout campus.

Until further notice, the Guardsman Way, Stadium and Merrill Engineering lots are open for general parking, no permit required.

• Guardsman Way Lot: Park here and ride the Guardsman Direct shuttle to the university hospital.
• Stadium Lot: Park here and ride the Guardsman Direct to the University Medical Center station.
• Merrill Engineering Lot: Park here and ride the Wasatch Express to the hospital. This new campus shuttle stop is located on the corner of Exploration Way and Central Campus Drive.

All other parking lots will continue to require a parking permit and will be enforced to ensure adequate parking for both the campus community, hospital patients and care providers. Enforcement procedures will be reassessed should campus transition to a closure.

Prorated Refunds for Parking Permits

The University of Utah will shift to all-online courses beginning March 18 for the rest of spring semester. Students who will no longer use their parking permit for the remainder of the semester may request a prorated refund by emailing parkingpermits@utah.edu.

Refund amount is based on date of original purchase.

Permits purchased in August or mid-September 2019, are not eligible for the prorated refund as their value has already been utilized. Due to our limited resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, refunds may take more than 8 weeks to process.

Please note, for check refunds, ensure that your mailing address is up-to-date in the university CIS system, which you can access from the university’s homepage.

Campus Shuttle

Beginning March 18, the Orange Route will not operate. The Green Route’s frequency will change to 30-minute intervals instead of 15-minute intervals. All other campus shuttle routes will operate on their regular schedules.

Our campus shuttles are cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis to ensure the health and safety of our passengers.

Visit uofubus.com or download the Ride Systems app to track all campus shuttles live.

SafeRide

SafeRide will continue to operate Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m . Download the TapRide app to request a ride within university boundaries.

In-person Appeals Cancelled

Our Appeals Department will no longer accept in-person appeals until further notice. Appeals may still be submitted online through our customer portal.

UTA

The Utah Transit Authority is implementing additional disinfecting measures to keep riders safe in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, UTA continues regular operation. A COVID-19 task force has been assembled and UTA is preparing an extensive plan of action, should the situation progress. Visit their COVID-19 webpage for the latest updates.

Immediately following the March 18 earthquake, UTA trains experienced temporary service halts and delays. Staff have since been working to ensure the safety of their rail lines. Check UTA’s Twitter feed for the latest updates.

To mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and generally promote a safe and healthy environment, UTA has implemented the following daily procedures:

• Daily rail vehicle disinfecting of all hand and grab rails that are frequently touched
• Daily bus vehicle wipe-downs with disinfectant
• Daily mopping of transit vehicle floors with disinfectant
• Daily cleaning at rail stations and facilities with disinfectant

At the time of publishing, UTA TRAX and FrontRunner trains are in operation but this is always subject to change, particularly as aftereffects of the March 18 earthquake are experienced. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, some bus routes now have limited or suspended service. They are:

• Route 606 – Serving a closed work activity center: Service suspended
• Route 608 – Serving a closed work activity center: Service suspended
• Route 674 – Serving Powder Mountain: Service suspended
• Route 675 – Serving Snowbasin: Service suspended
• Route 677 – Serving Snowbasin: Service suspended
• Route 880 – Serving Sundance Resort: Service suspended
• Route 919 – Serving West High School: Service suspended
• Route 920 – Serving West High School: Service suspended
• Route 953 – Serving Snowbird and Alta – Limited service beginning March 18
• Route 972 – Serving Solitude and Brighton – Limited service beginning March 18
• Route 994 – Serving Snowbird and Alta – Limited service beginning March 18

Valet Parking at University Hospital 

Valet ambassadors will no longer park patient vehicles but will instead guide them to an empty stall. Patients arriving at the hospital will be screened in the valet area to determine if they might have COVID-19. Patients who are determined not to be at risk for the COVID-19 virus will self-park, with the guidance of a valet ambassador, in an area separate from the potential COVID-19 patients.

The Commuter Services office will be closed indefinitely, but we will continue to issue updates on our website and in our social channels. Follow us online at @UofUCommuter for the most up-to-date information. Email all other urgent requests to comments@ucs.utah.edu.

For all other information, permits, ticket payments or appeals, visit the Commuter Services website.