How UCR Saved 93% on Permits for Campus Tours and Improved Event Parking
University of California Riverside (UCR) adopted digital permits and license plate recognition (LPR) in 2021. Their goal was cost savings and efficiency gains; however, managing complimentary guest permits for events, like campus tours, proved costly and complicated.
Each complimentary permit cost UCR ~$1.35 on the issued 5,500+ guest permits every semester. Offstreet helped UCR eliminate transaction fees on complimentary guest permits, realizing 93% savings on permit administration costs for campus tours alone.

Up to 93%
Savings administering guest permits
< 10 sec
To create a guest permit
Up to 90%
Time saved for all stakeholders

Andy Stewart

Associate Director
Transportation & Parking Services, UCR
"Having a parking session go smoothly is extremely valuable to us. We trust Offstreet to create that seamless experience for our campus guests. I'm not typically someone who like using different vendors for different use cases, but in Offstreet's case, nobody is doing what they are doing, let alone with the level of service and care that they're doing it with."
Challenges
Transaction Fees on Complimentary Permits
​UCR's previous system involved guests obtaining parking permits through their mobile payment vendor. Despite these permits being complimentary to guests, the university incurred a transaction fee of approximately $1.35 for each of the 5,500+ permits issued every semester.
Poor Guest Experience
The process for guests to obtain a parking permit was cumbersome and inconvenient. This complexity led to confusion and frustration, detracting from the overall campus experience.
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Mobile payment vendor required guests to download an app, create a user account, and enter their payment information (all for a $0 parking charge!)
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Parking instructions were difficult to communicate - especially between third-party organizations and their guests​
Dissatisfaction Among Key Stakeholders
The inefficiencies associated with guest parking negatively impacted the reputation of Transportation and Parking Services.
With campus tours playing a critical role in attracting prospective students, the department was under pressure to deliver a seamless experience. The existing issues threatened relationships with key stakeholders.
Solution
Affordable Pricing Model
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Transaction fees are replaced by Offstreet's monthly Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) fee model
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UCR benefits from greater predictability and control over guest parking and the associated costs
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Results in significant savings for the 5,500+ guests coming to campus each semester
Designed for Guests
Using Offstreet greatly improves the guest experience, creating a more welcoming first impression of campus.
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Guests receive a link from the school and register for parking from their mobile device/PC in advance
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In under 10 seconds, guests create their permit and receive parking instructions, including navigation support
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A pin can be dropped to any place on campus, providing guests with real-time GPS directions

Stakeholder Satisfaction
Offstreet's user-friendly solution allows Undergraduate Admissions and other departments to efficiently distribute parking permits for their guests.
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Easily communicate parking instructions
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Improved data collection and forecasting for traffic demand management
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Simple and easy-to-use interface
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Outcome
Streamlined Event Parking While Reducing Costs and Improving the Guest Experience
Eliminated transaction fees, reducing TAPS costs by up to 93%
A seamless parking experience for over 11,000 guests
Buy-In from key stakeholders and champions on campus
UCR's successful transition to Offstreet demonstrates how digital transformation can lead to significant cost savings and improved customer experiences. We are proud to be part of UCR's journey and look forward to continuing and expanding our partnership.

Andy Stewart

Associate Director
Transportation & Parking Services, UCR
"Offstreet has opened up doors we didn't know existed, allowing us to do things for our customers very easily, things we couldn't offer before. Offstreet has delivered on every promise, and then some. We appreciate that they continue to develop the product alongside our team, taking our feedback and suggestions seriously."