Contractor Parking at UW: Saving Time & Money
Overview of Operations
Contractor parking had long been one of the most complex and labor-intensive processes on campus when it came to parking. Project managers were responsible for requesting contractor permits monthly, while the parking office struggled to balance flexibility for contractors with the need for accurate billing and enforcement.
Challenges
- Manual, time-consuming administration: Hundreds of physical permits had to be printed each month using specialized printers, requiring ordering blank stock and staff hours to produce.
- Inefficient bulk purchasing: Contractors were forced to buy permits for every day of the month, even when they did not use them, resulting in significant wasted cost.
- Error-prone requests: Simple mistakes, such as selecting the wrong parking lot (e.g., confusing Lot E18 with N18), forced entire stacks of permits to be voided and reissued.
- Limited enforcement compatibility: Physical permits were not compatible with License Plate Recognition (LPR) systems, requiring enforcement officers to manually exit their vehicles and check dashboards.
- Communication issues: Contractors frequently received citations for displaying the wrong permit or parking in the wrong lot, causing friction between contractors, project managers, and the parking office.
The Offstreet Solution
In January 2025, UW Partnered with Offstreet to Transition Contractor Parking to a Fully Digital System.
Digital, self-service permits: Each construction project was set up in Offstreet as a “tenant,” with custom links provided to project managers. Contractors register their own vehicles directly via license plate, removing the administrative load from UW staff.
Pay-per-use billing: Instead of buying permits in bulk, contractors are now charged only for the days they park, cutting overall costs significantly.
Multiple lot access: Digital permits can be tied to multiple lots, reducing confusion for contractors who need flexibility across campus.
LPR integration: Enforcement teams can now rely on digital license plate data rather than checking physical permits, streamlining operations.
Scalability: Offstreet was set up and running within two weeks, with UW quickly expanding its use to other parking scenarios across campus.
UW Transportation Services
Public Safety, Cal Poly
Results and Impact
Significant time savings: Staff no longer spend hours printing, sorting, and distributing paper permits.
Cost reductions for projects: Project managers cut parking costs by up to 50% through pay-per-use billing.
Improved contractor experience: Contractors no longer need to manage physical permits and have greater flexibility in choosing lots, reducing citations and frustration.
Streamlined enforcement: LPR compatibility eliminated the need for manual dashboard checks.
Operational flexibility: Project managers can quickly adjust permit quantities or share access links with subcontractors, without requiring additional printing or paperwork.
Unexpected wins: The ability to merge multiple parking lots under a single digital permit reduced duplicate requests and simplified operations even further.
UW Transportation Services
Public Safety, Cal Poly
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