<p>Can a parking decal be purchased on campus or do we have to order online? Can they be purchased any time during the semester if I decide to wait on bringing my car? I'm still debating whether to bring my car. I'll be living in Hume so the lot is close by, but I hear your car usually gets banged up in the small parking spaces. Also, driving and parking in the shopping lots along Archer seems pretty crazy.</p>
<p>You have to buy your decal on campus. I think the building is on the corner Gale Lemerand and Mowry road. Right across the Commuter Lot. You can purchase them anytime of the year, but if you get a semester decal, they are $50 something and if you decide to wait half-way through the semester to bring the car, you'll be paying more for a shorter period of time. Also, I've never heard complaints about cars getting hit in the Hume garage, and parking isn't that bad on the shopping lots in Archer. I haven't had any problems. ::knock on wood::</p>
<p>Here's a link with more info: <a href="http://parking.ufl.edu/pages/parkingdec.htm%5B/url%5D">http://parking.ufl.edu/pages/parkingdec.htm</a></p>
<p>Parking garage's spaces are tiny as crap, if you have a nice car and/or loves your car, dont park in the garage.</p>
<p>This has probably been asked but are the decals really worth it? </p>
<p>How often does someone take their car out, and more importantly, how long does it take them to find a new space??</p>
<p>I have a friend who lived in Hume last year who had a car, and she doesn't regret it at all. She said she used it all the time--to go to the grocery store, to the gym (since she's from G'ville she kept her regular gym membership instead of using UF's), etc. She strongly recommended getting a decal to my friend starting at UF this fall, also living in Hume.
She did say, however, that because she had a car, people were constantly asking her for rides, which was a hassle (this was compounded by the fact that she's from Gainesville, and thus knew her way around well.)
Obviously, it may be different for someone coming from out of town, or even just from person to person. But I just figured I'd give an example of someone who was really happy that she had a car on campus.</p>
<p>And driving along archer, or through the long row of interconnected parking lots that is next to archer, it's so bad. I mean, archer is one of the busiest streets in Gainesville (tends to move though, it seems... Newberry definitely wins for congestion...ugh), and I haven't done a whole lot of driving outside of Gainesville, but I still don't think it's too daunting.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any experiences outside of Hume?</p>
<p>I think it's worth it too. If you ever want to go to Oaks mall, Publix/Wal-Mart, go around town for something, or if you just want to go home for a weekend out of the semester, you'll wish you had your car. I haven't heard of any complaints of cars getting banged up in the garage from people I know who park there. But I'm sure it's happened, however, that could happen at any parking garage or lot.</p>
<p>again...</p>
<p>How often does someone take their car out, and more importantly, how long does it take them to find a new space?? (In cases other than Hume)</p>
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How often does someone take their car out, and more importantly, how long does it take them to find a new space?? (In cases other than Hume)
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</p>
<p>Depends on what you use your car for. If you are going to be on a meal plan then I dont see the need for a car. If you cook you are going to need it to go to the supermarket and what not. If you plan on going shopping and going to restaurants then find a friend who has a car and bug them. That what many do. The person with the car become the carpooling person. </p>
<p>As for find a new space, it depends on where you live. </p>
<p>Murphree area: Do not bring a car if you are a freshmen you wont find a parking space. Since all the parking around murphree area is red 1 (50 credits or more). If you like in Murphree during fall you have to move your care to the criser parking lot on the fridays (by 5pm) of football games. Those spots are reserved for the important people. </p>
<p>Graham area, Hume, North, Weaver: They is a large (I think the largest) parking lot for freshmen there. You usually can find a spot there put it might take sometime during the weekends and during the day M-F. </p>
<p>Key: Red 1's so parking difficult. </p>
<p>Springs: All red located across the street but the parking lot is small so finding space might be difficult at times. Red 1 located next to the hall, but only 25 spaces.</p>
<p>Broward area: have parking spaces behind mallory but I am not sure if its red 1 or all red. The garage behind broward is for faculty and lifted at 4:30pm.</p>
<p>Jennings/Beaty (including broward): There is a all red parking garage but you have to cross 13th street to get to it.</p>
<p><strong><em>Decal parking restrictions are lifted after 4:30pm(5pm for some, I think) and resume at 7am the following day M-F. On sat or sunday everything is lifted. You will most likely get a ticket if you parking in a space that not assigned to your decal. The have parking officers that check every car in every lot M-F.</em></strong></p>
<p>My daughter's car got very scraped up last year in the garage (she usually parked by Hume). Her car went to Gainesville without a scratch after two years in a high school parking lot but the spaces in the garages at UF are very small and some kids park via the braille method. She never did not find a space at Hume but sometimes it took her up to about 15 minutes of cruising around the garage to find one....timing is everything. There is always parking available at Hume though.Behind Broward, the garage is not freshman parking but you can park there after 4:30 and on the weekends.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Can a parking decal be purchased on campus or do we have to order online? Can they be purchased any time during the semester if I decide to wait on bringing my car? I'm still debating whether to bring my car. I'll be living in Hume so the lot is close by, but I hear your car usually gets banged up in the small parking spaces. Also, driving and parking in the shopping lots along Archer seems pretty crazy.
[/quote]
</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You can purchase them online or on-campus. If you purchase a decal online before Aug1 then they would have mail you the decal to your home address. </p></li>
<li><p>Yes you can purchase a decal anytime. </p></li>
<li><p>I dont get what you saying about parking on archer.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Couldn't ask for more, thanks again ASMAJ</p>
<p>Got mine in the mail last week! It's real shiny too...lol</p>
<p>I also had a quick question, though. I have 44 credits, so after this first semester, can I upgrade to a Red 1 decal?</p>
<p>I was talking to a UF senior who works with me and he told me that there is no real need for anything aboove just the regular red decal. I don't know if he meant just for my situation or for everyone, but that seems to make sense. There really are not many more parking lots.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I also had a quick question, though. I have 44 credits, so after this first semester, can I upgrade to a Red 1 decal?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes, you can upgrade after you reach the required credits (50credits). With a red 1 you can park in freshmen decal (red 3) and spaces that are red 1. Red decals are only if you are living on campus. So it would be wise to upgrade once you have the credits esp since they are the same prices.</p>
<p>Yeah, made the mistake of parking in a red 1 decal lot because I'm stupid and got a ticket the first week.</p>
<p>I park in the parking garage next to 13th street. Its not too bad but its summer, idk where I am going to park for Fall.</p>
<p>However people do have a hard time staying in the line of the parking spaces so you cant really park too well either, lol. The first week I pulled out of a spot and turned too quickly or idk what the heck I did and rubbed the front of my car against some else's but there car was pretty scraped up and didnt do any permanent damage. </p>
<p>I like having a car with me. But that could just be because my parents waited till the last possible second to get me one but I think its good if you have to go shopping/watch a movie/go home etc.</p>
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However people do have a hard time staying in the line of the parking spaces
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<p>Dont you hate when that happens. You would think they would have more common sense to back out and straighten up.</p>
<p>lol you would think right? I suck at parking but I still take the two minutes of my time to straighten out the car.</p>
<p>I will be able to upgrade to a Red 1 decal in the Spring since after my 1st semester I will have 59 credits. I assume this means I need to purchase my decal for one semester at a time instead of the year long pass. Do you save money buying the year long pass?</p>