Parking Policy for the Morningside Heights and Manhattanville Campuses

The parking policy sets forth eligibility and allocation guidelines for faculty, staff, students, affiliates, and visitors for the 24-hour and commuter parking spaces managed by the University at the Morningside Heights and Manhattanville campuses.  The policy also addresses application and payment issues.

Reason(s) for the Policy

The demand for the University’s parking facilities greatly exceeds its supply. Eligibility and allocation policies are designed to maximize the use of this limited resource for the benefit of the University.

Primary Guidance To Which This Policy Responds

There is not a primary policy to which this policy responds. It is independent of other policies of the University. It is consistent with allocating scarce resources in accordance with academic priorities.

Who is Governed by This Policy

All faculty, staff, affiliates, students, and visitors of and to the University who want to park in a University managed facility.

Who Should Know This Policy

Senior executive officers, deans, vice presidents, chairs of departments, directors of institutes and centers, senior administrative officers, departmental administrators, and persons applying for parking.

Responsibilities

The University Parking Committee is responsible for establishing the University’s parking policy for the Morningside Heights and Manhattanville campuses. The Parking Office of Columbia University Facilities and Operations is responsible for day-to-day operations of Morningside Heights and Manhattanville parking facilities and administering the policy. The Responsible Officer is the Chair of the Parking Committee, who is responsible for implementing the parking policy.

Commuter and 24-Hour Parking Eligibility and Allocation Policy

The University Parking Committee has adopted the following eligibility and allocation policy for the assignment and retention of 24-hour and commuter parking spaces at the Morningside Heights and Manhattanville campuses, as well as 3260 Henry Hudson Parkway (“The Arbor”), a Columbia Residential building located in the Bronx. Columbia University Facilities and Operations is responsible for the administration of the policy and for implementation of the decisions of the Parking Committee pursuant to the policy. Decisions of the University Parking Committee may, upon request, be appealed to the Executive Vice President for Columbia University Facilities and Operations for final determination.

A. Eligibility Policies - General
  1. Active full-time Columbia faculty members, professional officers of research as defined by the Faculty Handbook, professional librarians and officers of administration in grades 14 and above on the Morningside Heights Campus, or grades 106 and above on the Medical Center Campus, are eligible for 24-hour and commuter parking privileges in the University’s Morningside Heights parking facilities. All residents of the Arbor, including post-doctoral officers of research and graduate students, are eligible for parking in that facility (only).

     

  2. Officers not otherwise eligible for parking pursuant to this Policy may be eligible for commuter or 24-hour parking if they are registered with the appropriate Disability Services office and recommended for parking as an accommodation by that office in accordance with University policy governing disability-related accommodations.

     

  3. Members of other Morningside institutions are not eligible for University parking, with the exception of certain faculty at Barnard College as described under “Eligibility Policy - 24 Hour Parking.”

     

  4. Parkers who cease to meet the eligibility requirements described herein will not be allowed to retain their parking privileges.

     

  5. Individual faculty/staff parkers may not simultaneously lease both a commuter and a 24-hour parking space on the Morningside Heights campus, except where both spaces are necessary to accommodate an eligible individual with a disability as recommended by the appropriate Disability Services office.

     

  6. The eligibility policies apply prospectively, effective upon issuance. Current parkers as of the date of issuance who would not qualify under the rules may retain their University parking space(s) assuming all other eligibility criteria are met.

     

  7. Departments may request parking for attendees of special events, seminars, and daily visitors. Approval of requests is subject to availability and the department will be charged for use of the facilities.

     

  8. During June, July, and August, there is generally a temporary increase in availability of parking spaces. All full-time faculty and staff may apply for accommodation for part or all of the summer; other eligibility restrictions do not apply during this period.

 

B. Eligibility Policy - 24 Hour Parking
  1. 24-hour parking applicants whose primary residence is in reasonable proximity to the Morningside campus are eligible for Morningside parking. Reasonable proximity is defined as north of West 96th Street to West 145th Street from Central Park West (or its equivalent) to Riverside Drive. Applicants in leased University housing in Manhattan that is outside the area defined above are also considered eligible if they meet the other eligibility requirements for parking described in this statement. 24-hour parking applicants whose primary residence is The Arbor are eligible for parking in that facility.

     

  2. Only active full-time Barnard faculty members who reside in University housing are eligible for 24- hour parking, and may retain privileges only as long as they remain in University housing. Barnard faculty who do not reside in University housing are not eligible for parking.

     

  3. Faculty and other instructional staff who retire from the University and continue to live in reasonable proximity to the Morningside Heights campus, as defined above, may retain 24-hour parking privileges in Morningside facilities as retirees only if capacity allows.

    • a. Retired full-time officers of instruction, research, and the libraries who reside in Columbia Housing may retain Columbia parking privileges for three years post-retirement. Those who do not reside in Columbia Housing may retain Columbia parking privileges for one year post-retirement.

    • b. Retired full-time officers of administration may retain Columbia parking privileges for 90 days post-retirement, except for those with service to the University for 10 years or more or those in University Housing, who may retain privileges for six months.

    • c. After the relevant post-retirement timeframe, if capacity needs exist, these individuals may be required to relinquish parking privileges within 90 days of notice.

    • d. Current retirees/surviving spouses with parking privileges are grandfathered into the previous policy, as are faculty with phased retirement agreements that begin by or before June 30, 2025. Anyone not yet retired as of June 30, 2025 is subject to the policy as revised.

    • e. Retirees who did not previously have a space in a University 24-hour garage are not eligible to apply for parking privileges. 

  4. Surviving spouses of University officers with 24-hour parking in a Morningside facility who continue to live in reasonable proximity to the Morningside Heights campus, as defined above, may retain the officer’s space only if capacity allows. Surviving spouses of officers who did not have a 24-hour parking space are not eligible for 24-hour parking in a Morningside facility. After the death of their affiliate spouse, surviving spouses of officers of instruction, research, and the libraries may retain Columbia parking privileges for three years if they reside in Columbia Housing and for one year if they reside elsewhere. Surviving spouses of officers of administration may retain parking for six months. After the relevant timeframe, if capacity needs exist, these individuals may be required to relinquish parking privileges within 90 days of notice. Status as a surviving spouse must be consistent with information provided to and recognized by Human Resources.

  5. Eligible parkers are limited to one 24-hour parking space per household.

 

C. Eligibility Policy - Commuter Parking
  1. Commuter parking applicants must reside outside the borough of Manhattan.

     

  2. Adjunct Columbia faculty members who reside outside the borough of Manhattan are eligible for commuter parking on the days they teach and/or hold office hours.

     

  3. Retired full-time faculty who teach classes or are engaged in sponsored research are eligible for commuter parking on those days that they conduct such activity.

D. Allocation Policies

Upon approval by the Parking Committee, faculty members will be assigned parking based on the following guidelines:

  1. Eligible faculty of a professorial rank will receive first priority for parking spaces in the Morningside facilities: (a) by tenure status; (b) by rank including those appointed in a visiting rank and (c) based on special considerations relating to the efforts of deans to recruit and retain the most qualified senior faculty. Officers of instruction with a non-professorial title, officers of research, professional librarians and administrative officers will receive second priority: (a) by rank; and (b) based on special considerations relating to the efforts of deans and vice presidents to recruit the most qualified staff, and to the extent spaces are available after faculty have been accommodated.

     

  2. Assignments to the 560 Riverside Drive Garage, subject to availability, will be made in the following order: (a) tenured faculty; (b) non-tenured faculty living in 560 Riverside Drive; (c) other eligible non-tenured faculty of a professorial rank; (d) other 560 Riverside Drive residents except students; (e) eligible non-professorial faculty and officers of the library; and (f) all other eligible officers. 

     

  3. Time on the waiting list will not be considered in the initial assignment of parking.

     

  4. Requests by University faculty and other officers who have been previously approved for 24-hour parking to transfer to a different University 24-hour parking facility shall be approved by the Parking Committee, subject to availability, in the order listed based on the following guidelines:

    a. Tenured faculty in the order of the date of receipt of the transfer request.
    b. Non-tenured faculty who are residents of 560 Riverside Drive seeking to transfer into the parking facility at that location.
    c. Transfer requests from other eligible non-tenured faculty of a professorial rank in order determined by the Parking Committee based on the recommendation(s) of Deans or Vice Presidents.
    d. Other eligible parkers who are residents of 560 Riverside Drive seeking to transfer into the parking facility at that location.
    e. Non-professorial faculty and officers of the libraries in order determined by the Parking Committee based on the recommendation(s) of Deans or Vice Presidents.
    f. All other eligible officers in order determined by the Parking Committee based on the recommendation(s) of Deans or Vice Presidents.

 

E. Other Policies
  1. Parkers are required to present proof of a valid, current vehicle registration issued to the employee and/or their spouse. Parkers are required to notify the Parking Office in advance of any change of address or vehicle used for parking. Registrations will be checked for compliance no less than every three years. All information provided for this purpose will be maintained confidentially by the Parking Department solely to confirm compliance with the University’s Parking Policy.

     

  2. Parkers are responsible for the monthly fee for their parking space 12 months a year and may only suspend privileges during the summer months (June, July, and August) and in cases of sabbaticals and approved leaves of absence. Requests for suspension of privileges must be submitted to the Parking Office no less than 30 days in advance other than for medical leaves and other emergencies.

     

  3. Parkers currently employed by the University are required to agree to pay all monthly parking charges via payroll deduction, except in the case of a short-term, temporary assignment of a space, in which case the full cost for the agreed period must be paid prior to occupancy. Retirees and other parkers not currently on University payroll will be invoiced on a monthly basis.

  4. Overnight parking is not allowed in commuter garages.

  5. Parking is contingent on ongoing eligibility, full and timely payment, and adherence to other applicable University policies. 

1. Human Resources definitions and policies are followed with respect to job titles, full versus part-time designations, and all other employee classifications.

2. Human Resources benefit policy states that University commuter parkers are already paying for parking through a pre-tax deduction and should not sign up for the Transit/Parking Reimbursement Program (T/PRP) parking account.

3. Office of Disability Services

4. Medical Center Parking: https://www.cumc.columbia.edu/facilities-management/campus-life/getting-and-around-campus/cuimc-parking

Web Address for Policy

https://transportation.columbia.edu/parking

Forms, rates, the location of parking facilities at the Morningside campus and other related documents may be found on this website.

Procedures

1. Application Procedures: Applications can be obtained online at https://transportation.columbia.edu/parking. Parkers are required to present proof of a valid, current vehicle registration issued to the employee and/or their spouse.

2. The Parking Committee meets monthly year-round. 

3. Payment: Active affiliates are billed via payroll deduction; retirees and surviving spouses are invoiced monthly. A refundable parking deposit is required and is refunded upon vacancy. Adjunct faculty parking fees must be paid in full either by check or departmental internal transfer prior to the start of parking. Summer parking fees may be paid by payroll deduction or by check in full prior to the start of parking.