Carpools

The University of Texas at Austin carpool program strongly supports efforts to reduce traffic congestion and curb vehicle pollution in the Austin area. Carpool members are provided numerous incentives to share the commute with a fellow co-worker or student.

Why Carpool?

Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) provides the following benefits to registered carpools:

• Reserved carpool spaces
• Reduced permit fees
• Free garage parking
• Guaranteed rides home
• Request a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

Reserved Carpool Spaces

Reserved carpool parking spaces are available throughout the campus. These spaces are reserved for registered carpools with the proper permit on a first-come, first-served basis weekdays until 10 a.m.

Reduced Permit Fees

The permit cost is reduced by $50 for each registered university employee and student carpool rider (excluding the driver) up to the pro-rated cost of the permit at the time of carpool registration. You share any remaining permit cost with your carpool members.

• Permits paid in full receive a rebate in the form of a check or direct deposit.
• Permits paid with payroll deduction cash, or What I Owe Refund will be processed after six consecutive months of being in the carpool on a post-tax basis only. Payroll monthly deductions are no longer an option.
• Semester Permits (student garage permits): Refunds will be processed after the permit has expired. The carpool must be active during the entire semester in order to receive a refund.

Free Garage Parking

Each carpool member receives Green On the Go pass. In the event you need to drive your own vehicle to work instead of riding with your registered carpool, you can use your Green on the Go pass to park n a university parking garage. Green on the Go passes are valid in all university garages except the Conference Center Garage (CCG), Nueces Garage (NUG), and Rowling Hall Garage (RHG).

To receive a pass, you must list your own alternate vehicle. If an alternate vehicle is not listed, you opt out of receiving a pass as one of your benefits. Pass usage will be monitored. If you deplete your credits and unenroll from your current carpool within six months of your initial carpool approval, you will be responsible for the repayment of any used carpool credits.

The Green on the Go pass issued to each carpool member will have a balance adjusted to the term of the permit. Pass credits issued to carpoolers will be pro-rated based on the month of application approval:

The number values listed in the chart are the maximum number of uses allotted per Green On the Go pass.

Guaranteed Rides Home

All carpoolers are automatically enrolled in the Guaranteed Ride Home program, providing a safety net for emergency situations. If you need to leave the university before the carpool is ready due to an emergency, a ride can be provided by Lyft.

Under this program each carpool member will be eligible for up to two Lyft rides home per semester (or six times per academic year). PTS will pay for up to $49.50 per Lyft ride, and the rider is responsible for any additional charge and driver gratuity.

The pick up locations are:

• Main UT Campus
• J.J. Pickle Research Center (PRC)
• West Pickle Research Center (WPR)
• Lake Austin Center (LAC)

To arrange a ride, please contact PTS:

• Email ;carpool-grh@utlists.utexas.edu
• Include your pickup location and UTEID
• Login to the Lyft App or on the website at: https://www.lyft.com

How to Request a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle:

Within the Lyft app, go to Settings then Services& to select Access mode.

Reopen the app. You will receive an in-app notification with instructions to dial a dedicated phone number for dispatching accessible vehicles.

Guidelines & Eligibility

• All members of the carpool must be employed or registered at The University of Texas at Austin. One of the participants must be a University of Texas at Austin employee or student who has a current and valid UT parking permit. All carpool members must reside in the same commute area.
• The permit issued to the carpool will be the Class of Permit that the holder is currently eligible to purchase. ("A", "C", "F", "S"). Class "O" Permit holders may receive all benefits except the reduction in the parking costs. On campus residents and "R" permit holders are not eligible carpool members. Carpools must park in the lot that they are assigned or eligible. N and N+ permits are not eligible for the carpool program.
• Green on the Go passes are valid in all university garages except the Conference Center Garage (CCG), Nueces Garage (NUG), and Rowling Hall Garage (RHG). Access may be restricted during special events.
• Membership in Class "F" Permit carpools is restricted to faculty or staff members only. Class "F" Permit carpools will be assigned to a specific "F" lot; however, no specific spaces will be set aside for Class "F" Permit carpools.
• Only one University parking permit is issued per carpool, and only one of the registered vehicles may be parked in the designated lot at any time.
• The permit holder and all riders will be connected to the carpool permit and thus not eligible for another permit. Carpool members are ineligible to obtain additional permits of any type (including Class "M" Permits).
• Motorcycles, motor scooters, and mopeds are excluded from the carpool program.
• Individuals are only eligible to receive benefits once per academic year.
• If the permit is returned for a refund, the $50 per member permit discount benefit will be prorated and will be adjusted with the refund based on the usage of the permit.
• All refunds are processed on a post-tax basis in order to facilitate the refund process. Federal Regulations guidelines prevent the university from issuing refunds for permits purchased on pre-tax payroll deductions. To prevent the necessity of a refund, all returned permits must be turned into PTS no later than the 15th of the month prior to departure.
• A maximum of four members (including the permit holder) is allowed per group.
• One Guaranteed Rides Home ride can be used for a max amount of $49.50 per ride. The rider is responsible for any additional charge and driver gratuity. Each carpool member will be eligible for up to 2 rides home per semester (or 6 times per academic year).
• Must be within the following locations for pickup: Main UT Campus, J.J. Pickle Research Center (PRC), west Pickle Research Center (WPR) and Lake Austin Center (LAC).
• Must contact PTS directly BEFORE scheduling a Lyft ride by emailing carpool-grh@utlists.utexas.edu must include UTEID and pickup location.

Vehicle Registration

Please ensure all vehicles being driven on campus are registered on My Parking Profile before submitting your carpool application. To check your license plate registrations through My Parking Profile:

1. Go to the Cars section/tab.
2. Scroll down to License Plate [license plate #].
3. Edit or remove the car as necessary.
4. To add a car, click the + Register a new car button at the top.

You may register up to three vehicles. Failure to register your license plate may result in citations.