Shenandoah Parking Deck at Fairfax Campus. Photo by Alexis Glenn.
By Josh Cantor
Parking and transportation are high priorities for our community, and we know that it can be challenging at times. Here at George Mason University, we accommodate nearly 34,000 students and 6,000 employees, and almost all of us are competing on a daily basis for a limited number of spaces.
Knowing how stressful it can be, we’d like to call your attention to several economical parking options that Mason offers its students and employees. We also want to make you aware of the wide range of free transportation services that reduce the need for parking.
For instance, reserved parking at the West Campus lot is available for $150 a year for off-campus students and employees, which comes to $12.50 a month for 12 months. Resident students pay the rate of $195 a year. In addition, shuttle service from the West Campus will be increased beginning this fall, particularly during peak hours from 7 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.
The permit for lots M and P at the Field House are $265 a year for off-campus students, $125 less than a general permit. General permits run $215 for the fall semester or $390 a year for off-campus students and employees. Resident students pay $450 for a general permit.
Mason offers other economical reserved parking options around campus. You can find them here. Be advised, the more popular choices tend to sell out before the semester begins.
There are many factors that determine the pricing of parking. Parking fees cover all operating costs for our lots and transportation infrastructure. Annual costs are roughly $17 million, while repairs to surface and garage lots are expected to reach $40 million over the next decade. Mason’s Parking and Transportation Services receives no tuition money or state funding.
Parking fee structures are not based on supply and demand. We budget expenses and then calculate prices to generate sufficient revenue to break even. We use historical sales numbers and enrollment growth to guide those decisions.
We know many of you must depend on a car, but if you don’t need one, Mason offers many convenient modes of transportation that can make life here easy. Those include free CUE buses that travel from the campus to various locations in the Fairfax City vicinity, free shuttle service to Vienna Metro and our Science and Technology Campus in Prince William County, faculty/staff carpooling and student carpooling programs and Zimride ride-sharing.
And for those coming from south of the campus, the Burke Centre VRE Garage offers free parking, and Mason provides free shuttle service to and from the garage in the mornings and afternoons.
Full-time employees also have the Commonwealth Commuter Choice benefit which puts up to $130 a month on a Metro fare card for using public transportation. Those employees who ride bikes to campus eight times a month or more can receive $20 in bike-related vouchers.
Mason encourages biking and has been recognized as a “Bicycle Friendly University” by the League of American Bicyclists. There are more than 1,300 bike parking spots on campus, eight public air pumps, several fix-it stands and occasional free tune-ups. For a complete list, see bike.gmu.edu.
We encourage everyone to explore their options and find what works best for your budget and schedule. Feel free to contact Parking and Transportation for advice and questions at transpo@gmu.edu or on Facebook and Twitter @MasonParking.
Josh Cantor is director of Parking and Transportation Services for George Mason University.