The University of Georgia plans to add over 1,000 new parking spaces next year to reduce the number of students who are unable to find parking on campus.

The parking waiting list for UGA students has increased dramatically, from about 1,000 students in fall 2019 to over 7,000 in 2024, as the university continues to grow and accommodate more freshman classes.

In response to the tremendous growth of the student body, UGA has built more facilities, including new dormitories and dining halls. Due to limited space, these buildings often replaced former parking lots, resulting in the university having even fewer parking spaces available.

“Several factors hit us virtually all at once, driving demand for parking to an all-time high,” said Brett Jackson, assistant vice president of ancillary services, in a press release.

Since 2018, UGA has added over 3,700 new parking spaces—over 600 of them last year—but these new spaces still do not meet the increased demand.

Students who do not receive a parking permit can still pay to park in some parking decks and lots on campus. Paid parking rates have not increased in 16 years, but the number of free spaces has dropped dramatically. Recently, UGA decided to convert the formerly free parking spaces in the Intramural Fields to paid parking. Students pay through the Park Zone app, which is also used in the Tate Student Center parking deck.

UGA says it plans to create about 1,300 new parking spaces on campus by fall 2025 and has expanded College Station’s Park & ​​Ride system as well as parking spaces on the Health Sciences Campus and at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in College Station.

Still, TPS encourages students to use the bus system and says it is working to fix glitches in the system. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, bus ridership at UGA has dropped by nearly 50%.

“The continued trend of declining public transit ridership underscores the need for us to adapt and find innovative ways to encourage and support our community in using sustainable and alternative transportation options,” said Todd Berven, director of Transportation and Parking Services (TPS), in the press release.

To encourage students to use the buses, TPS looked for ways to improve the bus system. Working with an outside consultant, the company expanded bus routes to serve more remote parts of campus and the surrounding area.

UGA also encourages students to carpool, participate in the Alternative Transportation Program, or use other transportation options such as bicycles to reduce the number of cars on campus.