New parking regulation

© Niels Ackermann, Lundi13

For almost 20 years, EPFL has been strongly committed to public transport and active mobility, in line with federal and cantonal climate objectives. Thanks to the implementation of an ambitious mobility plan, the number of people commuting daily to campus by car has fallen considerably (see: EPFL mobility survey). Increased use of home-office and multimodality have reinforced this trend, enabling some parking areas to be converted.

Diagnostic study of parking at EPFL 

Between 2022 and 2023, a study to assess parking needs and practices on the EPFL campus (PDF 8.7 KB, only in French) was conducted to define a set of measures to support the planned reduction in parking supply. The study was coordinated by the Mobilité EPFL team and CSD Ingénieurs, together with an internal working group representing departments and parking users.

The results of the study showed that:

  • By 2028, and despite the closure of certain parking lots, the overall supply of motorized parking will be more than sufficient to meet the demand. Occasional saturation may nevertheless occur, depending on the location of each parking lot (e.g. Rivier).
  • Significant disparities exist between different types of parking allocation, with under-used private yellow parking spots and heavily used shared green parking spots.
  • Current pricing remains well below market levels and too attractive to encourage a change in practices in favor of public transport or carpooling, for example.

Main objectives

The new parking regulation (LEX 7.5.1, 310 KB) will gradually be implemented starting from January 1, 2025. Its main objectives are as follows:

  • Improve the value of campus spaces by repurposing parking areas: the repurposing of 500 parking spots at La Coupole and Colladon will make it possible to construct new buildings in line with EPFL missions, as well as new attractive public spaces, thanks to the Campus PiĂ©ton project.
  • Optimizing the use of existing spaces: the set of measures proposed by the new parking regulation aims to better balance supply and demand, without introducing specific criteria for parking space allocation. The repurposing of currently underused private yellow spaces will enable us to maintain the current number of shared green spaces. 
  • Promotion of sustainable means of transport: the new regulation aims to encourage the use of public transport and active mobility in line with the climate objectives of the Confederation and the Swiss Confederation and EPFL Climate and Sustainability Strategy.

New building construction

To support the increasing needs of teaching and research, the campus will construct two new buildings, which will require the repurposing of the Coupole and Colladon parking lots.

  • Closure of the Coupole parking lot in 2025: from the first half of 2025, the parking lot under the Esplanade will be permanently closed to allow renovation work on the Coupole buildings and the construction of new auditoriums for teaching purposes, with a total capacity of 1,500 places.

→ More information

  • Closure of the Colladon parking lot in 2026: from 2026, the Colladon parking lot, located in the south of the campus near the EPFL Innovation Park, will be permanently closed to allow the construction of the Advanced Science Building (ASB), which will enable research in high-tech laboratories.

→ More information

New regulation for cars and two-wheelers

The new measures related to the revision of LEX 7.5.1, regulation governing parking and parking conditions on the EPFL campus in Ecublens, (the link will be available on Polylex from 01.01.2025) will be implemented progressively.

  • Removal of monthly (CHF 45.-) and annual (CHF 400.-) price caps for shared green parking spots, with no change to current pricing (CHF 2.50/day, CHF 1.50/half-day). The purchasing platform for green spaces was updated with the new fees on December 12, 2024 for all authorizations valid in 2025. 
  • In order to improve occupancy rates in existing parking lots, yellow private spots will be gradually phased out and repurposed into green shared spots and white visitor spots.
  • Introduction of parking rules for motorized two-wheelers, bicycles and devices classified as vehicles, free of charge.
  • Introduction of exceptional exemptions to the regulations in the event of construction work, EPFL events or rescue/emergency activities.
  • Removal of the right to contest parking tickets for missing or forgotten purchase of parking permits, for parking outside a parking space and for parking without a license plate.
  • Creation of the Commuter Mobility Commission to support the implementation of the new regulations and define measures to promote sustainable mobility.
  • No more parking rights for green shared spots for external companies (excluding permanent service employees and guests).
  • Introduction of a procedure to provide financial support for mobility costs for those facing difficulties, according to a procedure to be defined by the Commuter Mobility Commission in the course of 2025.
  • Enhancing public transport: We are committed to improving public transport services on campus.

Pricing :

  • Introduction of differentiated pricing based on status (c.f. below).
  • Implementation of hourly and daily fees of up to a maximum of CHF 4.- for shared green parking spots.
  • Change in fee-paying time slots : 8:00 am to 6:00 pm instead of 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
  Pricing type Staff, post-docs, guests, permanent services PhD students BA/MA Students, apprentices, interns
Green parking spaces

Day (8am – 6pm)

 CHF 4.- CHF 2.50 CHF 2.-

Half-day (8am-2pm/ 12pm-6pm)

 CHF 2.- CHF 1.25 CHF 1.-
Hour CHF 0.50 (Max 4.-/day) CHF 0.35 (Max 2.50/day) CHF 0.30 (Max 2.-/day)
    Staff, post-docs, guests, permanent services PhD students Students, apprentices, interns External
White parking spaces Hour CHF 2.-
  Princing type Staff, Professors Emeritus

Yellow spaces

 Month CHF 120.-

 

Evolution of Parking Availability :

  • The underground parking facilities at SV, BC-INM, and the Rolex Learning Center are being transformed to primarily offer shared green spaces.
  • Current authorizations for private yellow spaces will remain available exclusively for regular EPFL staff at the new monthly rate of CHF 120.–. If a subscription is canceled, these spaces will be converted into shared green spaces or white visitor spaces.
  • The offer for motorized two-wheel parking is being expanded.

Permanent Service Companies :

  • The currently occupied yellow spaces will be discontinued, and staff from permanent service companies may park in shared green parking spaces.

Exceptions for External Companies and Student Associations :

  • The “Point bleu” parking badges will be discontinued, and a new procedure will be introduced for parking authorization requests.
  • For vehicles belonging to external companies, the Parking Desk will issue parking permits upon request via an online form (see pricing details below).
Pricing type Vehicules belonging to external companies
Week (Mo-Fr) CHF 25.-
Month CHF 100.-
  • Vehicles of Student Associations : The Office of associative affaires issues, upon request from student associations, a temporary parking badge allowing free parking in shared green spaces.

Penalty notices :

  • Reminder : Parking outside designated spaces is not permitted and constitutes an offence with no possibility of appeal, including for motorized two-wheelers.

Sustainable mobility solutions

Through its mobility plan, EPFL provides its community with numerous offers and services to encourage and promote the use of active and shared mobility.

In addition, students can benefit from certain advantages when using public transport for student trips:

  • Academic exchanges: Students taking part in an academic exchange as part of the Swiss European Mobility Programme are entitled to a 60% discount on the purchase of an international public transport ticket.

→ See regulations (PDF, 205 KB, in French only)

  • Master’s project or individual semester project credited outside the Ecublens campus: Full reimbursement of public transport costs
  • Group or laboratory excursions: Day passes at CHF 15.

→ More information

EPFL Commuter Mobility Commission

The Commuter Mobility Commission is responsible for:

  • Defining the content and supporting the implementation of new parking regulations.
  • Defining and implementing a procedure to support users in financial difficulty.
  • Defining an action plan to support a modal shift towards sustainable mobility and guarantee optimal infrastructure quality on the EPFL campus in Ecublens.
  • Ensuring inter-departmental coordination and communication to users.
  • Establishing an inventory and regular reporting of parking at EPFL.

Contact