Parking FAQs

City Parking Lots

NEW: The Cherry/Commerce city parking ramp located across Cherry Street from WMU is now available. This is a totally automated ramp so please follow directions carefully to handle your payment. When you enter the ramp you will receive a ticket. You can pay when you leave by one of two ways:
1) Take your ticket with you and when you are ready to leave, pay at the machine which is located in both of the stairwells on first floor. It will accept cash, credit card, or voucher. Once you have paid, you will get your validated ticket returned to you and then you will have 15 minutes to return to your car and leave the ramp, putting the validated ticket in the exit machine.
2) If you are paying by credit card or voucher, you may pay at the exit booth as you leave the ramp.

The Area 5 Lot, one block south of Van Andel Arena, is a City-owned surface lot on Ionia Avenue between Oakes and Cherry Streets.  It is located just northwest (across the intersection from) the main entrance to the WMU Graduate Center - Downtown.  This lot has nearly 200 spaces. This lot is not available for daytime hourly parking but can be used for evening (set rate) parking after 5:00.

There are also important benefits for you if you park in those City lots.  All day and evening the City's red Parking Services Security Service vehicles patrol the lot.  The City provides an optional, but free, escort service to your car after class, and they will help with dead batteries if you are parked in one of their lots.  In the Winter, they work hard to keep the lots plowed and salted.  Please check at the WMU Security Desk Downtown for more information.

The two parking areas currently have different times for switching between daytime rates and evening rates. The evening rate takes effect at 5:00 PM for Lot 5 and at 5:59 PM for the ramp.

Free Parking - On-Street Parking Meters, after 5 p.m. Within one block of the WMU Graduate Center - Downtown, Ionia Avenue and Cherry Street offer several spaces with parking meters.  After 5 pm, these metered spaces are free, but they fill up fast. Students should not leave valuable personal property in plain view in their vehicle. If you must leave valuables in your vehicle, please keep them out of sight - preferably in the trunk.

Free Parking - We have over 550 spaces available in our parking lot at the Beltline.

You do not have to register your car or buy a parking sticker.  There is no restricted parking area for students, but we ask students not to park in spaces labeled for handicapped parking (State Hang Tag required) or in the two areas designated for faculty (at the Beltline).