UCF students, faculty and staff may find the spring semester has brought some changes to their normal parking routine.

Construction on the east side of campus has closed one parking lot, shifting hundreds of spaces elsewhere.

Work has already begun on the new Interdisciplinary Research Building, a $30 million project that’s being built atop Parking Lot C1. That’s the lot closest to the engineering buildings that’s reserved for faculty and staff. Those spaces are being shifted north to Parking Lot D1.

That move will displace about 450 student spaces in Lot D1. Displaced students can park in the Libra and A garages and Lot E4 near the Softball Stadium and use the Park & Ride buses to reach their campus destinations.

The change also means a shift for patrons of Theatre UCF. Those attending theatre productions who had parked in C1 will now park in D1.

At the same time, an addition is being built onto Garage C that will add another 600 spaces for students. That work will cause occasional traffic disruptions on Gemini Boulevard nearest the garage. The project is expected to be finished this summer.

Here are some tips to make parking easier:

  • To help with the changes, Parking and Transportation Services will operate a Park & Ride lot at the nearby Softball Stadium until the Garage C expansion is completed. Shuttles will run between the softball lot and the Health and Public Affairs building, with pickups every two to five minutes, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • There are usually spaces available in Garage A and the Libra Garage.
  • After 5:30 p.m., students with parking permits are allowed to park in lots set aside for faculty and staff. Just don’t park in spots that are marked as reserved 24 hours a day.
  • Parking attendants will be stationed at the affected lots at the beginning of the semester to provide information and offer help.