Navigating Parking at FSU
Like any college campus, finding parking can be tricky. There are over 40,000 students currently attending Florida State University, and as we all know, parking situations don’t necessarily get easier when a game weekend rolls around. Fortunately, FSU has numerous resources and services available to ensure that students can commute to campus as smoothly and efficiently as possible, whether it's a game day or not.
FSU is home to 6 parking garages positioned all across campus so students can park according to their desired destination. While garages like the Traditions Way garage--located in the heart of campus--fill up very quickly, other garages such as Woodward Garage and Pensacola Garage offer additional parking spaces on the perimeter of campus. Students are only allowed to park in the white-lined spaces labeled with a “VW”, and all students must obtain their virtual parking permit through the FSU Transportation website. Overnight parking is permitted on the top floor of each garage and when parking, avoid backing in or you will receive a citation. To stay ahead of the game in terms of parking availability, you can download the FSU Tranz app on your phone and it shows up-to-date capacity reports of each garage.
Another useful mode of transportation for students on and off campus is the bus system. The Seminole Express provides transportation to students, faculty and staff, and visitors all around campus and off campus as well. For Campus and Off-Campus routes, the buses are available Monday-Friday from 7am to 8pm during the fall and spring semesters. If you are in need of transportation after these hours, there is the Nite Nole; this bus route is in service Monday-Saturday from 8pm to 3am during fall and spring semesters. It is good to note that these two bus services are only available when class is in session. Use the TransLoc Rider app on your phone to track the bus routes, view upcoming arrivals and departures, and view bus stops.
Game days at FSU can be the source for parking frustrations on any given Saturday in the fall. Each game weekend, the University distributes an e-mail titled “Football Game Parking Notice” to all students, faculty, and staff the Friday before a home game to ensure that everyone is aware of changes to parking lots and routes near campus and the football stadium. The FSU Transportation and Parking site also has a page dedicated to game day parking here. Encourage your student to give themselves enough time before the game to travel downtown or across Collegetown and take into account any road closures or parking changes. Additionally, they should avoid parking in areas where they are unsure if they will get ticketed, booted, or towed; this happens frequently if you park in restricted areas or lots. The SeminoleSAFE app also gives an additional Game Day Guide that assists in partaking in game days here in Tallahassee.
For any other inquiries about parking and transportation services at Florida State, you can visit the FSU Transportation & Parking Services website for more information.