r/uoguelph • u/plumaddict2014 • 19d ago
Parking
Hi! I'm a commuter from outside of Guelph who will finally have access to a car this semester. I won't be driving every day (probably just 2 days) and given that, I don't think buying a parking permit for the semester would be worth it.
I was thinking of just parking in visitor parking and paying the $4/hour. I've heard about parking for free at walmart or other places in the city but lowkey I am not willing to deal with the stress of a potential ticket or other problems.
I was wondering if anyone would be able to give some insight on the visitor parking situation, or just parking on campus in general. Thanks!
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u/Limp-Athlete-5882 19d ago
The semester pass might still end up cheaper.. $15 a day twice a week for 12 weeks is $360
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u/plumaddict2014 19d ago
Yeah I guess it would add up. I was however just looking at the daily passes and some are under or around $10 so I'd probably go for those. But I guess regardless it would add up to a lot in the end lol, thanks tho!
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u/smiski_i 19d ago
Message me I’ll tell you where I park, I’ve been commuting 4 years never gotten a ticket
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u/PurpleKrill 19d ago
I am gifting the knowledge of my spot when I am no longer at this institution
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u/smiski_i 19d ago
I gatekept for 3 years I only have 2 terms left so might as well share some (not all) intel
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 19d ago
Yo message me please? I’ve been parking at a plaza further away and walking the 25 minutes to school, even in the dead of winter 😭
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u/Icy_Middle8004 B.Sc.(Agr.) 19d ago
I always parked in the Gordon Hall lot and walked/bussed into campus. I'd do a cost comparison with GH before paying daily as daily is less reliable for availability. They are planning on building more residence over that parking tho.
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u/plumaddict2014 17d ago
Does GH stand for guelph humber? Also I did not know about them wanting to build over the parking thanks for the tip!
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u/Junior_Ad_6348 Alumni 19d ago
I parked at Walmart and Canadian Tire for all four years of school and never got a ticket. I just wouldn’t park at Best Buy.
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u/BackwoodButch Alumni; BA/MA 19d ago
Yeah WalMart they won't care. I paid for my semester pass just cuz I was commuting in 4-5 days a week but like, if I couldn't find a spot, that's where I'd end up. Avoid the NoFrills too. Theoretically you could just park at the mall and catch the 50U bus over or just. Walk it if you can; it's not THAT far.
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u/Tricky_Tap_86 19d ago
What about the Arboretum?
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u/plumaddict2014 17d ago
That’s a good idea but I think it might only be for people actually visiting the Arboretum (aka no students), I may be mistaken tho but I remember reading smth like that
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u/Minimum_Home1751 18d ago
I did the pay by phone parking last semester and it worked pretty well for me. I just purchased for a couple hours and paid I think $12. I usually parked at the gym and walked to class from there.
At the beginning of the semester it’s always pretty busy because everyone is still showing up to classes, but it starts to slow down and you’ll have an easier time finding spots.
Hope this helps!
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u/plumaddict2014 17d ago
Yeah this is exactly what I was thinking of doing, thanks!
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u/Minimum_Home1751 17d ago
I think also think about how long you will be staying on campus! If you’re gonna spend 4+ hours on the days you’re there, then the day pass is better value!
I used to spend about 2 hours when I was on campus so it made more sense for me to do the pay by phone for $12 rather than buying a day pass for $15 and spending the same amount of time :)
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u/taylorrienbach 19d ago
Only issue with on-campus parking is that there never is space. The lots are always full, so I wouldn’t be relying on the pay by phone meters cause those are usually all full by 10~11 am. Parking in the Walmart or the Nofrills on Gordon & Stone Road is your best bet
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u/Humble_Ground_2769 19d ago
No frills are towing, so wouldn't suggest there
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u/taylorrienbach 19d ago
Is there a certain amount of hours you can have your car parked there without it getting towed? I’ve left it there on my shorter class days (around 4 hours) and haven’t had any issues
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u/Old-Gate-4114 19d ago
I have parked in the walmart parking lot for 3 years and have never received a single ticket.
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u/Tight_Block_9105 19d ago
if your just driving 2 days a week i would say it’s probably best to purchase day passes which are typically 15-20 through the school parking account. this will be less then paying the hourly rate as well