Winter Break Parking & Transportation Update
Are you ready for winter break? Please be aware that there are several parking and transportation-related changes on campus during the break.
This year, winter academic break begins on Saturday, December 21, and runs through Sunday, January 12, 2025. Winter break holiday for UK employees is Wednesday, December 25, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
UK Employee Parking Lots & Structures
In general, all employee lots remain on control for permits over the break, with the exception of the week of Wednesday, December 25, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Student Parking Lots & Structures
Students with residential, periphery, and remote permits will be able to leave their vehicles in place over winter break if they would like to do so.
All student residential (R) lots remain on control for valid UK permits over the break. However, any valid UK permit will suffice for many residential areas.
There are some exceptions which continue to require the specific permit type. These include:
- Seminary residential lots (R29 & R30)
- Wildcat Coal Lodge lot (R17)
- Hilltop Avenue Garage (R2)
- Sports Center Garage (R7)
- German House area (R18)
- Shawneetown signed (R19) spaces
- Greek Park (R11-R15) (R22)
Holiday Parking Passes
Students can take advantage of a covered parking option to protect their vehicles from winter weather over the break. UK Transportation Services is offering free holiday parking passes for students who have a valid UK permit and would like to park and store their vehicle on campus while they're away on break.
Students can keep their vehicles under cover by moving them to Cornerstone Garage (PS #5) with a free holiday pass. These passes authorize parking on levels four and above and are valid for a one-time exit. If you need to come and go from the garage throughout the break, you may have to pay for your parking time.
Holiday parking passes are now available and can be picked up at the Transportation Services’ Customer Service Center, located in the Press Avenue Garage (PS #6). If you wish to use a holiday pass, please be prepared to show your student ID and to confirm the make, model, and license plate number of your vehicle.
The passes are valid starting Monday, December 9, through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 12, 2025. They must be displayed on the dashboard, and vehicles must be moved back to their authorized parking area prior to 5 a.m. on Monday, January 13. Those that aren’t moved before that date and time will be assessed a $2 hourly parking fee, with a maximum fee of $16 per day.
UK Transportation Services Office Hours
UK Transportation Services’ office will be closed during winter break, from Wednesday, December 25, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Many online services will remain available during this time, but emails to transportation-related listservs and telephone calls to the office will not be monitored. The customer service center will reopen at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 2.
UK HealthCare Parking Structures
With the exception of Christmas Day and New Year's Day, there are no changes to UK HealthCare policy which restricts employee parking in UK HealthCare patient/visitor parking garages and lots.
Attendants will not be on duty on Christmas Day or New Year's Day. To ensure adequate parking for patients and visitors, employees are encouraged to use the Kentucky Clinic Parking Garage (PS #3) on those days instead of the UK HealthCare Garage (PS #8).
Campus Bus Service
The weekday campus Blue, White, and Green bus routes will operate on a normal schedule through Friday, December 20.
The Purple Route only runs on days that classes are in session.
The Blue, White, and Green route buses will operate on a modified “limited” schedule of 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the following dates:
- Monday, December 23, and Tuesday, December 24
- Thursday, January 2, and Friday, January 3
- Monday, January 6, through Friday, January 10
These buses will not be in service December 25 through January 1.
Yellow Route Bus Service
The weekend Yellow Route will not be in service starting Saturday, December 21, through Saturday, January 11, 2025. Weekend service will begin again on Sunday, January 12.
Orange Route Campus Buses
The Orange Route (UK HealthCare) will not operate on Christmas Day or New Year's Day.
Buses will run from 5:30 a.m. to midnight December 26-27, but will operate with a reduced fleet consisting of two to three buses in the morning and two to three in the afternoon and evening. They will also have a reduced fleet on December 30-31.
The Orange Route will return to its normal service schedule beginning on Thursday, January 2.
On-Demand Night Bus
The On-Demand Night Bus will not be in service Wednesday, December 25, through Wednesday, January 1. Service will resume on the evening of Thursday, January 2.
Additional items of note:
- Wildcat Wheels Bicycle Library will be closed over winter break.
- Motorist assistance services remain available over the break through UK’s contractor, Roberts Heavy Duty Towing & Recovery. Please see this page for details about the motorist assistance program, which provides free on-campus battery jumpstarts, among other things.
- Please continue to email UK Transportation Services with any non-emergency transportation-related questions. These emails will be answered as quickly as possible beginning on Thursday, January 2, 2025.