Driving on college campuses is becoming more and more a thing of the past. Today, many campuses are taking the initiative to create walking campuses – a term meaning driving on campus is prohibited unless by a campus official or campus transit. The main reason behind this is to create a safer environment for students to get around and less traffic for university busses that travel on campus.
While Ole Miss isn’t quite a walking only campus, it is a bit of a pain finding parking on campus. As a visitor, it is important to be informed about parking accommodations. There is a total of 15 parking zones including:
Motorcycle
Campus Walk
Commuter
Faculty/Staff
Ole Miss Inn
Open
Park and Ride
Pavilion garage
Residential
East
West
Central
South
Garage
Timed/Metered
Visitor
All students living on campus and planning to bring a car must order a residential permit based on where they’re residing. Other options for students include commuter passes, the Pavilion garage, Park and Ride, and motorcycle passes for those with motorcycles. For a map of all parking zones, click here.
Ole Miss is happy to welcome any and all visitors! But before you visit, be sure to purchase a visitor’s pass to avoid any parking tickets. Visitors get the luxury to park in The Lyceum Circle, smack in the middle of campus. Visitors may also park in any of the other designated visitor parking zones, as well as at any of the metered parking spots for $1.25 per hour. Are you a visitor coming for orientation? Remember that parking rules still apply! However, there are usually special parking accommodations made for those parents attending orientation.
Although bikes aren’t listed in the parking zones, Ole Miss still requires anyone with a bike to have a bike permit. Bikes must be registered because registration helps the university gather data so they can determine what services and accommodations need to be added for bike-riders – bike racks, bike lanes, etc. Registering a bike is also a sure-fire way to track the bike if it has been lost/stolen. Are you a visitor with a bike? You still have to register! Click here for more details on bike registration.
Fair warning: be sure to park in your designated parking zone or else you WILL get a parking ticket! The parking police are real sticklers about parking passes on campus due to how limited it is. Let’s face it, parking on college campuses can be a pain in the rear, but hopefully these pointers will help make your parking experience a pleasant one!
Don’t want to drive? Check out our local transit system or bike share as well as other transportation options provided by the university.
For information on all parking decals, click here.
For information on special events parking, click here.
For information regarding parking at graduation, click here.
