<p>I'm going to be a freshmen next year (in all likelihood), and I really need my car! However, I know UM doesn't give parking spots to freshmen, so I'm looking into other things I can do. Are there places in the coral gables area that freshmen commonly leave their cars? Upperclassmen, are any of you willing to sell me your spot? If not, do you know anyone who is?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t leave my car anywhere, because I live in Miami and while the school isn’t in a bad area by any stretch of the imagination… I just wouldn’t suggest it.
The public transport is fine, I imagine you’d only need a car if you were like, driving up to Orlando all the time or something. Other than that, public transport can provide pretty much anything you’d need.</p>
<p>I live in Miami now so I know the city fairly well, I just know that I’d be almost crippled without my car and I’m trying to find a way to keep it next year. I don’t need to go to Orlando, but I’m gonna be going up to north Miami quite frequently so a car would make that much easier. if you know any upperclassmen trying to sell their spots I’m very interested.</p>
<p>if you’re going to be a commuter student I would assume that you would be able to get a parking permit. I could be wrong but if you’re a commuter student how would they not sell you a parking permit?</p>
<p>The parking permits are $500 for a full year. I found this out recently and I’m still considering buying a bike. I live about 5 minutes from the school on the opposite side of US1. Also, Miami isn’t a city that’s good about public transportation. UM has the Ibis buses that take you to all the local hot spots but they’re not as convenient as owning your own car.</p>
<p>I’m not gonna be a commuter student, I’m gonna live on campus my freshman year, but I still want to have my car so I can get around Miami at my own convenience. I’m just annoyed that freshman can’t buy parking spots so I’d like to buy one from an upperclassman if possible.</p>
<p>You can park across the road in the metrorail lot for $100/year.</p>
<p>@rankinr, is that a viable option? I’m going to be a freshmen too next year (not commuter) and live within driving distance from Coral Gables (about 4 hours away). Do you know a lot of freshmen that do/have done this?</p>
<p>I know of no one who has done this, but it does seem feasible. I was considering doing it this year. It’s only around a five to ten minute walk, depending on where on campus you are.</p>
<p>How about freshmen with motorcycles? Are incoming freshmen not allowed to have motorbikes? I mean, motorcycle is not a car…</p>
<p>rankinr, if you could elaborate a bit on this it would be great, whether in the thread or by PM, I’m very interested.</p>
<p>Vengeance, I don’t see why not, as long as you don’t need a parking space for it. They don’t really regulate it at all, except insofar as they won’t sell you a parking pass.</p>
<p>Hotpotato: The metrorail station is just across from the Bankunited Center at UM. They sell parking passes at all the metrorail stations, and you can get one at that one for $120/year or ~$80 if you’re only going to have it for the eight months you’d be here.</p>
<p>You can get all the info at [Miami-Dade</a> County - Transit - Metrorail Parking](<a href=“http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/rail_parking.asp]Miami-Dade”>http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/rail_parking.asp)</p>
<p>rankinr, thank you, this looks like it’s what I’m gonna do, I’m going to campus today so I’ll check it out when I’m there.</p>
<p>rankinr, is that technically allowed? Like, is it possible for them to catch you and have consequences?</p>
<p>Nevermind, I saw on the website that it’s only for riders of the metrorail…</p>
<p>Anything’s possible, but they don’t… like go out of their way to check, or anything.</p>
<p>And you may very well have to buy a metrorail pass to buy this parking pass, I’ve never bought a monthly pass, so I’m not certain. For the day passes you don’t need a metrorail pass.</p>
<p>True… I don’t know if it’s worth it to buy a $50 a month metro pass just to get a $10 a month parking pass. I think I’ll just stick to the regular “no cars for freshmen” policy.</p>
<p>I can’t believe they don’t allow commuter freshman have cars! that’s pretty crazy. it’s like saying you need to find a way of transportation in a city that does not understand public transportation very well. if you don’t live too far from campus I would suggest a bike, which is something I might be considering even though I’m a junior. and I don’t know if they would allow a motorbike since it would have to take some sort of space for parking. I would call and find out.</p>
<p>I really think you don’t need a car. The public transportation really isn’t too bad. You can get just about anywhere you need to go via public transit, walking, or, worst case scenario, in a friend’s car.</p>
<p>I’ve been living in Miami, particularly south Miami, and I can’t imagine living without a car. Public transportation doesn’t do it for me plus it gets pricey. This isn’t new york. This isn’t Chicago or San Fran either.</p>
<p>It’s $2 each way.</p>
<p>Freshman year I went without a car and took public transit everywhere.</p>
<p>I guess it just depends on the kind of person you are and how much time you have, though.</p>