After a year of controversial limits on available parking permits, Carleton University has adjusted its process for buying a permit for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Last year, parking passes were limited to students outside Ottawa’s transit bounds. This meant students commuting from within Ottawa transit boundaries — including Stittsville, Kanata, Orléans and Manotick — were not eligible for a parking permit.
Now, these students will once again have a chance at permits again this year: through the form of a newly introduced waitlist set to open Friday at 9 a.m.
According to Carleton Parking Services, students will be able to log into their ParkAdmin accounts and place their name on the waitlist by navigating to the “Permits” section.
But beyond the waitlist, students with “special considerations” are now eligible to receive priority access to parking permits.
The student groups given priority access include:
- Students outside Ottawa’s transit bounds
- Students with accommodation considerations
- Students living on campus
- Students employed at Carleton
- A limited number of student athletes
Students outside transit bounds will be expected to follow the same process as last year where they are required to obtain a U-Pass waiver.
The waiver requires students to opt out of Carleton’s U-Pass system which provides access to OC Transpo trains and buses. According to the university, students have until Aug. 3 to submit their U-Pass opt-out request to receive priority consideration for a parking permit. After that, requests will be processed based on remaining parking availability.
Students with accommodation considerations include those who hold a provincial Accessible Parking Permit, as well as students who may apply to the Paul Menton Centre for an endorsement for either a physical disability (accommodation permit) or a non-physical disability (regular student permit).
Students living on campus and employed by the university in the 2026-2027 academic year will be able to apply for a permit on the university’s parking services page Aug. 3, at 9 a.m.
Student athletes will be notified if they are able to buy a permit online after team lists are submitted by coaches to the university.
According to the school, students with commuting challenges not included in the priority groups may submit an “Exceptional Circumstances form” for consideration, also made available on July 10 on the parking services website..
The university’s parking capacity has been slashed since the demolition of the P9 parking garage. The university previously told the Charlatan in a statement from last year that students who cannot get a parking permit are encouraged to take advantage of OC Transpo Park and Ride facilities across the city.
While some Park and Ride facilities, including Bowesville, Leitrim and Greenboro, are less than a 30-minute OC Transpo ride from campus, the closest option for commuters from Ottawa’s west end is Eagleson Park and Ride. From there, trips to the university can take more than an hour during peak periods.
- Paid parking in Carleton’s P7 lot ($12 daily)
- Four-hour maximum short-term parking lots in the campus core
- Paid parking in Carleton’s P10 lot ($20 daily)
- Paid parking in Carleton’s P5A lot ($15 daily)
Featured photo by Leah Gordon/the Charlatan.
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