Parking
Carpool Spaces
There are more than 75 carpool spaces on campus for commuter students or employees who travel to school with two or more people of legal driving age in the vehicle. Carpool spaces are located in the Main Structure, Saints West/Hughes East Lot, Mother Rosalie Hill Hall Garage, and the KIPJ Garage. Carpool spaces are reserved solely for vehicles displaying carpool permits Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Fresh Air Permits
To encourage the use of alternate transportation, Parking Services has free Fresh Air Permits available for employees. These permits allow up to sixteen days per semester of free parking on campus for those who otherwise use alternative transportation (carpool, bike, bus, train or trolley).
EV Charging Stations
Electric Vehicle charging stations are located across campus to accommodate the growing market for electric and hybrid vehicles. EV stations are located in the Main Structure, West Parking Lot, G4 (Manchester Garage South), E10 (Alcala Vistas North), and G1 (Institute for Peace and Justice Garage).
Transportation
- Bike
- Public Transit
- Car
Bike Parking
USD worked with Park-a-Bike to install new bike racks as a two-phase upgrade to increase bike parking and bike safety on campus. The increase in bike parking spaces is to encourage students and staff to commute to campus through cycling and alternative transportation. Review bike safety tips before you ride and please see for a map of all bike parking locations.
Bike Routes
Use SANDAG's interactive San Diego Regional Bike Map, which shows 1,570 miles of bikeways in the region to help map your bike route.
Campus Programs
Recycling
Recycling on campus is single-stream, meaning all recyclable materials are put into the same bin and later sorted at the recycling facility. Recycling the following:
- Plastic Bottles and Containers
- Steel, Tin, and Aluminum Cans
- Glass Bottles and Jars
- Flattened Cardboard and Paperboard
- Food and Beverages Cartons
- Paper
- Envelopes
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- File Folders
Make sure all recycled items are free of food residue.
Electronic Recycling
Please fill out a work order for any electronics that you would like to recycle. The USD Department of Environmental Health and Safety will pick up these items and bring them to a warehouse on campus.Some electronics that can be recycled include:
- Computers and laptops
- Batteries
- Phones
- Printers
- Light Bulbs
Food Waste
Recycling food waste at USD is easy - just follow these three simple steps!
Step 1: Email the Office of Sustainability for a paper food waste bag.Step 2: Place food waste in pap
er bag.
- Food scraps
- Food-soiled paper (coffee filters, napkins, paper towels)
- Pizza boxes
- Plant trimmings, yard waste
- Do NOT put any "compostable" or "biodegradable" labeled plastic products in the food waste bag.
Tip: Place the bag in the freezer to avoid unwanted smells!
Step 3: Place bag in Green Food Waste bin.
Bin locations: Alcalá Vistas, Camino/Founders, Manchester Village, San Buenaventura, and Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall
In an effort to divert material from the landfill and assist those in need, USD partners with Disabled American Veterans (DAV) for a campus-wide donation program. USD community members can place gently used clothing, linens, housewares, electronics, books, toiletries, etc. in any of the collection bins located around campus.
Collection bins are located at the West Lot Tram Stop, Mother Rosalie Hill Hall (1st floor), Maher Hall (1st floor), the Student Life Pavilion, Student Life Pavilion (outside of 2nd floor), Valley, Manchester Hall, and the Vistas (parking lot and Palomar Lounge).
Toreros donated 85,650 pounds of items to DAV in FY2023!
Sustain-A-Bottle
USD Dining is the first campus on the West Coast to offer a Sustain-A-Bottle Freestyle program (2016). This reusable "smart" bottle has a unique RFID chip that allows you to purchase a semester's worth of refreshments at one time. With the Sustain-A-Bottle, you can skip the line and get your refills from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines while keeping disposable cups, lids, and straws out of the landfill.
Coffee with a Conscience
Bring your own travel mug to any on-campus dining location and receive $.50 off coffee and tea and $.25 off espresso drinks and tea lattes. Additionally, china cups are available for in-house use at all retail coffee locations. All dining locations feature alumni-owned, locally operated, Ryan Bros. Fair Trade and organic coffee and teas.
Dining Operations
Sustainable Purchasing
- Menu management software helps to purchase items “just in time,” which reduces waste
- All cleaning chemicals and detergents are Ecolab green-certified products
- All produce is sourced from the Southwest region, and when possible, from California
- All hamburger meat is grass-fed, GMO-free, and free-range
- 80% of baked goods are made within 5 miles of campus
- Dining locations offer organic and fair trade coffees and teas from alumni-owned Ryan Bro’s at Tu Mercado and Peet’s at Aromas
Reducing Food Waste
- Pre and post-consumer food waste from the SLP and pre-consumer food waste from other dining locations are placed in a Harp CX2 Biodigester and converted into fertilizer to be used on campus grounds
- Used coffee grounds are donated to the campus mulch piles for gardening
- Used cooking oil is recycled into biofuel for vehicles
Sustainable Disposables
- USD is 100% trayless and Styrofoam- free
- Flatware, cups, coffee sleeves, and napkins are made of renewable resources (e.g., corn) and 100% recycled content paper goods
- Straws are made of agave pulp instead of plastic
- USD Catering utensils and plates are compostable and biodegradable. Utensils are made from bamboo fiber, and plates are made from naturally-fallen Areca Palm tree leaves.