Garage Parking FAQ

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about the parking garage at ECU. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us, (252) 328-6294 or email parking@ecu.edu.

Where is the parking garage?

The only garage at ECU is located behind the Main Campus Student Center, 501 E. 10th Street. The entrance is off of Student Center Drive.  Other parking garages are planned for the future; however, it takes time and funding to build.

 

Do I have to pay to park in the garage?

Yes, all garage patrons must pay to park. A garage permit or payment of $1/hour is required.

Building and maintaining a parking garage is very expensive and funds come from annual and hourly parking fees. No tuition, student fees, or state funds are used for parking at ECU.

 

How do I get a garage parking permit/access card?

Annual garage permits can be purchased by staff, faculty, and students. You will get an access card after registering your vehicle and paying the annual fee.  (See garage permit page for details). If you have already registered and paid the annual fee for parking in another zone and are interested in upgrading to the garage, visit or contact the parking office for information about the exchange.

 

Are there any places to park on campus without a permit, other than the parking garage? Is there Visitor Parking?

Yes, pay station parking is in the following areas at a cost of $1/hour. Credit card or Parkmobile app accepted.

  • Corner of 5th Street & Harding Street near the main entrance to campus.
  • Between Jenkins Art Building and Garrett Residence Hall.  Enter campus from 5th Street onto Founders Drive. Turn right onto Faculty Way. Lot entrance is beside Jenkins Art Building.
  • East of the Croatan and Rivers Buildings.  Enter off of Maple Street; or, turn onto campus at the light on 10th Street and College Hill Drive and turn right to travel beside Fletcher Music to reach the parking areas.

 

Why do I have to pay to park? What does ECU Parking do with all of the fees and fines collected?

State funds are not used for parking at state universities, but must be covered by parking fees. ECU staff, faculty, and students may purchase a parking permit for an annual fee. Hourly paid parking can be used by anyone. These fees cover the cost of maintaining all of the parking lots on campus, including construction, paving, striping, signage, staffing, and other business-related costs. A portion of the parking fees collected are provided to ECU Transit to cover the cost of bussing students from perimeter areas. In addition, parking offices must turn over 80% of fines collected to the public school system.

If parking was not regulated or enforced on campus, the time to find an available space could cause disruption of classes and operations. Zoned parking allows efficient use of space, based on the proximity to buildings and their uses. The strategic planning of ECU is to be a pedestrian campus, with the majority of parking on the perimeter, and transit or walking encouraged.

 

Why does it say the parking garage is full, when it looks like there are open spaces?

The Main Campus Student Center parking garage has 709 regular spaces and 15 ADA spaces for a total of 724 spaces. There are approximately 150 individuals who purchased the garage permit. Enough spaces must be left empty for these patrons. When the “full” sign is out, and the parking attendant is letting select vehicles into the garage, it would be because they have a garage permit.


Why are the parking garage gates sometimes open?

The university reserves the right to open parking garage gates if needed. Gates will be left open for one of several reasons:

  • If there is a technical issue with the payment or ticketing system, or the gates are malfunctioning, they will be left open.
  • If the parking office has limited staffing and is unable to assist garage patrons, the gates may be kept open.
  • Special events, such as a few days at the beginning of fall semester when heavy traffic is expected, gates may be kept open as a courtesy.

 

Is there ADA parking in the garage?

Yes, there are 15 ADA spaces in the garage. These can be used by permit holders or those paying hourly.

 

Are there vehicle charging stations in the garage?

Yes, there are 2 charging stations near the entrance to the garage.