Nancy Smith, Parking and Transportation Services Field Operation Manager, reports that parking areas that consistently hit top capacity (listed in order):

• Union Deck
• Lot 18 (in front of the Union)
• Lot 19 (by Spruce Hall)
• East Deck 2 and 3
• West Deck

 “Monday through Thursday, from about 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM is when we’re seeing the most demand,” Smith says, “with Thursday being the highest.”

Based on the University’s scheduling of classes, this is to be expected. But just because it’s expected doesn’t make it any less annoying to know that odds are against getting a parking space close to campus core at 11:00 AM on any day but Friday.

Smith advises, “If you need an immediate place to park, go straight to Lot 6 [across from Campus Edge] and take the Red Line shuttle into class. Even during peak class times, there have been at least 500 spaces available in Lot 6.”

The new North Deck, located across from Laurel Hall, near Police and Public Safety, has consistently had 1,000 empty spaces since the first day of class. The Green Line shuttle picks up there and can take you straight up Craver Road to the Student Union/CHHS/COE quad, up the hill to Burson, Cameron and McEniry.

Here’s a recent local news story about parking at UNC Charlotte confirming that while prime, convenient parking is at a premium, campus does have adequate spaces.

There’s no getting around the fact that UNC Charlotte has grown so much that close-in parking is very limited from late morning until early afternoon. So if you don’t have time to try your luck, choose alternative parking that is farther out and along a shuttle route. You may be surprised by how much easier it is to just park, ride, and get on with your day. Shuttle stop maps and schedules.