UNLV will welcome more than 30,000 new and returning students to campus Aug. 27 for the start of the fall semester, and the first few weeks tend to be the busiest time of the year for parking.

Here are seven tried-and-true tips to help visitors navigate increased traffic in and around campus:

1. Don’t forget your parking permit. 

First things first. All vehicles on campus are required to have a permit to park in either student or staff marked spaces. Don’t have a permit? Pay for hourly or daily metered parking through the PayByPhone app or online. Look for the PaybyPhone signage in most student parking lots or on qualifying meters. Learn more and sign up on the PaybyPhone website.

2. Know before you go.

Check out the interactive Google campus map with building and parking lot details to keep up with changes on campus and find out the best place to park.

The Thomas & Mack Center lots, including the Tropicana garage, the Cottage Grove garage, and the University Gateway garage have the most available parking spots. The best bet during busy times is to head straight to these areas. New this year: a larger motorcycle parking area in the lot northeast of Lied Library.

3. Arrive early.

Plan to arrive well before class time, particularly during the first few weeks of school when campus parking lots will be most crowded. Get here early, grab a snack, and squeeze in a quick study session.

4. Be patient.

There are enough parking spaces to accommodate the needs of everyone on campus (No, really!). Patience and cooperation are appreciated as the campus begins the new semester.

5. Carpool (or car share).

Carpooling frees up parking spaces and it’s good for the environment – but it can also save you money. Sign up for the Regional Transportation Commission’s (RTC) Club Ride program with permits easily transferrable between vehicles registered with UNLV Parking Services.

The car sharing service Zipcar is also on campus and gives members access anytime to vehicles parked near Greenspun Hall and the Recreation and Wellness Center. Low hourly and daily rates include gas, insurance, and 180 miles per day to go wherever you want to go. Learn more aton the Zipcar website. 

6. Ride the bus and save.

Avoid the hassle of parking altogether by riding the bus. The RTC UNLV Transit Center improves connectivity to public transit at UNLV. It directly links to the RTC’s main transit hub, the Bonneville Transit Center downtown, for connections across the valley. The RTC offers discounted transit passes for UNLV students, faculty and staff for use on all RTC routes.

7. Charge it.

Six charging stations for electric vehicles are available on campus through a partnership with NV Energy, with more to come. Look for stations south of the Stan Fulton Building, at the Cottage Grove, University Gateway, and Tropicana parking garages, west of Greenspun Hall, and east of the Campus Services Building.

Electronic message boards will be posted at major entry points to campus during the first week of school. UNLV staff will also assist with traffic flow, directions and pedestrian safety. For more info, visit unlv.edu/parking or call 702-895-1300.