Parking Options for Cornell Retirees

• Retiree Parking Changes 

  New Permit Options for Retirees

  Beginning January 1, 2023, retiree parking options will change due to shifts in demand and the loss of parking inventory due to construction. A free permit for North Campus A Lot is still available, however, free access to O and R areas will end. North Campus A Lot access is provided through a free virtual permit, which requires registration but allows a license plate to serve as the parking credential. Retirees also have the option to purchase a permit from available offerings.

  As part of an ongoing commitment to alternative transportation options, retirees will continue to have free, universal transit access on TCAT buses when using their Cornell ID card at the farebox.

  Accessible parking permit options are also available. Eligibility for free and paid parking accessibility permit options remain the same, as do permit display requirements.

  Ten free 4-hour Flex permits are no longer provided upon request to retirees with 25 years of service, however, eligible retirees may request an on-demand, daily, 4-hour Flex permit. See below for details.

• Daily Decision Parking

  Low-cost Parking Options Using ParkMobile

  The Daily Decision program gives commuters access to low-cost, short-term options to meet their occasional parking needs. Using the ParkMobile app, this program provides community members greater flexibility than a traditional annual or semester permit, coupled with the convenience of contactless self-service.
  
  Visit the  Daily Decision page to learn more about parking options, prices, and locations, and visit ParkMobile.io to download the app, create an account, and park.

• Parking Compliance

  Permit and Payment Requirements Enforced

  Students, faculty, and staff returning to campus should visit myparking.cornell.edu to check their permit and vehicle information before parking, as restrictions and Night/Weekend Parking Rules are enforced throughout campus. Community members should also be prepared for upcoming event impacts on traffic and parking. Fine-due citations are issued in response to permit and payment requirement violations.

Retiree Transportation Options

Getting Started

• Cornell retirees can use their Cornell ID to access free, unlimited-use TCAT privileges.
• Free daily North Campus A Lot permit can be obtained from the Transportation Services office at 116 Maple Avenue. Check hours.
• Retirees who need to regularly access campus have permit options like regular employees. Free annual virtual North Campus A Lot parking permits are available from myparking.cornell.edu.
• Retirees may purchase a permit from the current available inventory. Retirees can choose from the same permit options as all current faculty and staff members, however, some permits are restricted due to eligibility and availability rules.
• Free and paid accessible parking permit options. A state-issued ADA placard is required to obtain a Cornell accessible permit. Retirees with accessible parking needs can opt for the following:
  • a free PO Cornell hangtag, valid in accessible and permit-restricted spaces in areas signed A, E, ME, R, O, and WE; or
  • a for-fee AP Cornell hangtag, valid in any accessible parking space as well as most permit-restricted parking spaces on campus.
• Daily Decision parking areas are deeply discounted; prices range from under $1 to $4.50/day plus the ParkMobile fee. The perimeter parking areas are near TCAT bus stops. Daily Decision parking gives commuters access to low-cost, short-term options for occasional parking needs. For use through the ParkMobile app, this option gives greater flexibility than a traditional annual or semester permit and the convenience of contactless self-service.
• Retirees with 25+ years of service who retire by June 30, 2023, may request an on-demand, daily, 4-hour Flex permit by stopping on the day the permit is needed at Transportation Services at 116 Maple Avenue. Check hours here. Up to ten free 4-hour Flex permits per calendar year may be requested.

Short-term Parking Options

Free daily North Campus A Lot permit from the Transportation Services office at 116 Maple Avenue (retirees only). Check hours here.

Many other short-term parking options are available for a fee, including the new low-fee Daily Decision parking lots, which are first-come, first-served.

Transit Privileges

Cornell University retirees are eligible to use their Cornell ID cards to ride all TCAT buses, any time they run, anywhere they go; Cornell pays the fare.

Emeriti Privileges

Tenured faculty emeriti who do not maintain an office on campus and Research Teaching and Extension (RTE) faculty emeriti and non-emeriti retired faculty, regardless of office status, are eligible for all the aforementioned transportation options.

Tenured faculty emeriti who maintain an office on campus may request a free parking permit, subject to availability, different from North Campus A Lot.

Please consult the Faculty Handbook for information about university titles and status.

Night/Weekend Parking

While most parking areas are available evenings after 5 pm and weekends to all, certain central campus parking lots—and all residence hall lots—are restricted to payment and/or proper permit holders. Confirm the times permits are needed before parking in any lot.

Transportation options and parking privileges are subject to change for all university populations.  

Requirements

• Permit ownership is not transferable; it is intended for use only by the person it was issued.
• Eligibility for certain privileges will be determined by the employee’s status in Workday, the University’s human resource system. Please allow time for status updates.
• Retirees may be required to show their Cornell ID card to receive free parking options.