Finding a place for your car on campus may seem difficult, especially with parking lots in the Business Loop and next to the Sutton Building closed for construction, along with 300 stalls currently closed with the construction of the new Lassonde Studios.

However, there are spaces available — you just need to know where to look. According to Commuter Services, 600-800 spots sit empty on the typical weekday morning (the busiest part of the day). The most vacant of the lots are on Guardsman Way and east of the Merrill Engineering Building.

For some, these underutilized lots may be a bit of a walk to class, but campus is home to the most beautiful vistas in the country, so enjoy the view or hop on the campus shuttle that runs from Guardsman to the business school. And rest assured, more parking is in the works. After the construction, the Business Loop and Sutton Building garages will house an additional 780 parking spots (read the FYI story). And, there’s an extra perk: the roof of the Business Loop lot will be a playing field with fabulous views of the Wasatch.

Those extra spaces won’t be ready until 2015 so in the meantime, eliminate the stress of circling around and stalking parking spots. And eradicate headaches caused by the bumper-to-bumper commute to campus by taking public transit. Not only will you avoid the trauma of parking but you’ll be saving money and doing planet Earth a favor.

Save Money

Aside from UTA being free for all students, staff and faculty with their UCard, you’ll also be saving the 59 cents per mile that AAA estimates it costs to drive. And, we don’t need to mention the cost of parking permits, right?

Go Green

Public transportation is a great way to help improve air quality along the Wasatch Front. In fact, UTA helps keep more than 2,000 tons of harmful pollutants out of the atmosphere each year. Become part of Utah’s clean air solution by leaving your car at home and opting for UTA trains and buses as well as other green modes of transit, like bikes and walking.

For those who have already purchased a parking pass, it’s never too late to turn it in for a refund. Just contact Commuter Services for the details.

Resources to Make Commuting on Campus Easier

Campus Shuttle Tracker: Don’t wait 20 minutes for a shuttle — find real-time information directly on your phone.

Route U: Campus is huge, so, when walking, make your path the most efficient and avoid construction detours with the Route U Web resource.

UTA Bus Route Finder: This webpage has links to all of UTA’s bus routes in Salt Lake County and includes a map (seen below) of buses that come to campus.

Parking Permit Map: Parking lot designations can change by the day, so if you are a pass holder and you choose to drive to campus, refer to this map to be sure the E lot has not become an A lot only.

So, while parking is a moving target this year, please be patient—it’ll become more stable. But even then, utilizing alternative modes of transportation to campus—whether that’s public transit, bicycling or walking—may save you money, time and stress.