Orientation Parking 2023

Map of Jester and Brazos Garage area

Orientation Parking Permit

Orientation will bring large crowds, including vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Managing these crowds requires careful planning. For the most convenient parking option, we strongly suggest pre-purchasing parking to have guaranteed access to Brazos Garage, located near Jester Residence Hall. If you purchase your parking at least 24 hours in advance, you are guaranteed a space, are guaranteed the lowest rate, avoid purchase lines, and get into the garage quicker with your credentials already in hand.

 

Select Freshman Orientation Parking Option

Select Transfer Orientation Parking Option

Freshman Orientation Drop Off and Pick Up

The University of Texas at Austin is a controlled campus that requires a permit to enter. If you only need access to drop off on the first day of orientation and to pick up on the final day of orientation, permits must be pre-purchased online PRIOR to arriving on campus. Drop-off and pickup times are limited to two hours. These permits are $4 plus service fees and will allow for access to Brazos Garage, near Jester Residence Hall, for the first and third days of orientation. You must purchase a separate permit for the first and third day of orientation.

Pickup or drop-off requires the regular Garage Daily Rates

With heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic, controlling drop-off and pickup parking will allow for better control and safety for those participating in orientation. All drop-offs and pickups are in the Brazos Garage including taxi and rideshare. No curbside drop-offs/pickups are permitted.

Purchase Drop-Off / Pickup Permit

Parking Purchased Day of Orientation

If you wait to purchase parking less than 24 hours before orientation, parking will be sold at the regular Daily Garage Rate.

No Parking Needed

If you do not purchase a parking or drop-off/pickup permit, you will not be able to park, load, or unload passengers or luggage, or be granted vehicular access anywhere on the UT campus during orientation.

If you wait to purchase parking less than 24 hours before orientation, parking will be sold at the Daily Garage Rate.

Access/Update Your Orientation Parking Permit

When you purchase a permit, we strongly recommend you select "Create Account" during checkout. This will allow you flexibility to manage, change, or redownload your permit.

If you forget your permit, you will be able to download it from a smart phone if you have created an account, even on the day of arrival. Should you not have a smart phone and you forget your permit, please inform the staff at the gates and/or proceed to the Brazos Garage office on Level G for assistance.

If your plans change, YOU WILL HAVE THE ABILITY to alter the parking choices you make today, provided you make changes at least 24 hours in advance of your orientation session. If you need to alter your parking choice and you did not create an account upon purchase, email is the quickest way to get a response within 24 hours: pts-orientation_parking@austin.utexas.edu. If you are calling, please allow up to 72 hours for a response during normal business hours (M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m.): 512-471-7275. We will do our best to accommodate your changes.

If you have issues with your Parkmobile account, contact Parkmobile customer service at 866-330-7275.

Arrival/Departure Recommendations

Arrival

  • The permit you purchased online will be used to enter the garage. Have it out and ready to scan upon entry. While there will be staff directing traffic, you will need to scan your permit at the entry gate to get into the garage.
  • For directions on how to scan your permit's QR code at the gate, see Orientation Garage Access.
  • We will have staff directing traffic. Please follow their directions. They may ask you to enter at another gate, continue driving higher up the garage ramps, or to park in a particular space in order to facilitate traffic flow. Failure to follow their instructions may cause accidents and/or more congestion in the garage.
  • Please expect normal Austin rush-hour delays, and heavy traffic and congestion around Brazos Garage. Plan accordingly.

Departure

  • The permit you purchased online will be used to exit the garage. Have it out and ready to scan when exiting. While there will be staff directing traffic, you will need to scan your permit at the exit gate to get out of the garage.
  • For directions on how to scan your permit's QR code at the gate, see Orientation Garage Access.
  • Please follow the directions of staff at the exit. They are there to ensure traffic flows out of the garage as quickly as surrounding city street traffic will allow. Failure to follow their instructions may cause accidents and/or more congestion in the garage.
  • We highly recommend that you DO NOT exit at 5 p.m. as areas surrounding campus will be in typical rush-hour gridlock.

For Those Flying into Austin

  • If you’re flying into town, Capital Metro’s Route 20 (Manor Rd/Riverside) offers rides between campus and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Directions

Apps

The easiest way to get directions to the Jester Residence Hall and Brazos Garage area is to type "Brazos Garage" into your smartphone map app.

Text Directions

From Interstate Highway 35 (IH-35)

Take the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (MLK) exit. Turn onto MLK heading west. Turn right onto Brazos St. Follow signage to direct you to parking or pickup/drop-off locations. 

From MoPac Expressway, also known as Texas State Highway, Loop 1

Take the Windsor Road exit heading east. Turn right onto Windsor Rd/ 24th Street. Turn right onto N Lamar Blvd. Turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Turn left onto Brazos St. Follow signage to direct you to parking or pickup/drop-off locations.

From Texas State Highway 71

From the east, take IH-35 northbound and follow directions above for IH-35. From the west, take MoPac and follow directions above for Loop 1.

From U. S. Highway 290

From the east, take IH-35 northbound and follow directions above for IH-35. From the west, follow the directions for Highway 71 above.

From U. S. Highway 183, also known as Research Boulevard

From the north, take MoPac southbound and follow directions for MoPac listed above. From the south, take Airport Boulevard northbound to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (MLK). Turn left onto MLK. Turn right onto Brazos St. Follow signage to direct you to parking or pickup/drop-off locations.

GPS Coordinates

  • 30°16'51.4"N 97°44'10.4"W
  • 30.280956, -97.736218

Why We Charge for Parking

Texas law prohibits state universities from using state or university funds for any parking operations, which necessitates that PTS operates on a totally self-funded basis. All construction, operations, maintenance, enforcement, and administrative expenses must be financed through revenue generated by the sale of permits, meter use, garage daily parking fees, event parking, and fees collected from enforcement. University faculty, staff, and students pay for the privilege of parking on campus and safeguarding this privilege is a legitimate and important responsibility of PTS.

Our campus is very large, and parking spaces are an extremely limited commodity for the thousands of daily employees, students, and visitors. Many faculty, researchers, staff members, and students routinely visit our campus both throughout the week and on weekends; therefore, parking regulations must be enforced on a year-round basis.



Brazos Garage Permit Holders

The Brazos Garage (BRG) will experience heavier than normal traffic during the seven weeks of Freshman Orientation. Traffic in and around the BRG will be at its heaviest on the first and last day of each orientation session when the attendees are entering and exiting the garage. 

We will have staff directing traffic. Please follow their directions. They may ask you to enter at another entrance because of congestion, to continue driving higher in the garage, or to park in a particular space in order to maximize the utilization of the available parking spaces. Failure to follow their instructions may cause accidents and/or more congestion in the garage.

If you prefer to avoid orientation traffic, we have programmed your BRG access card to allow you in and out access at any university garage, except the AT&T Conference Center and Rowling Hall Garages, on the dates listed below on a space-available basis (applies to Freshman Orientation only):

  • Session 1: May 30 and June 1, 2023 (Tues and Thurs)
  • Session 2: June 5 and 7, 2023 (Mon and Wed)
  • Session 3: June 12 and 14, 2023 (Mon and Wed)
  • Session 4: June 20 and June 22, 2023 (Tues and Thurs)
  • Session 5: June 26 and 28, 2023 (Mon and Wed)
  • Session 6: July 10 and 12, 2023 (Mon and Wed)
  • Session 7: July 17 and 19, 2023 (Mon and Wed)

Please note, parking in the other garages is on a first-come, first-served space available basis.