Let’s talk about getting to campus. Not the glamorous kind of transportation story — no ribbon-cuttings, no mayors posing with giant scissors — just Oregon State quietly rolling out a pile of new tools so you can stop circling the same three parking lots like a shark that smells blood but can’t find the ADA space it’s looking for.
First up: the Campus Map got a glow-up. There’s now a layer that tracks Beaver Bus shuttles in real time, which is great, except — plot twist — the tracking platform itself is getting swapped out. Starting Oct. 5, the shuttles switch over to a new system called Flexigo. The old tracker keeps chugging along through Sept. 30, and then there’s a two-day dead zone, Oct. 1-2, where the buses are presumably still running, you just won’t know exactly where. Consider it a small return to the ancient art of “showing up and hoping.”
The map also picked up a biking layer — routes, bike parking, Fix-it Stands, and yes, showers, for the truly committed sweat-averse cyclist among us. And the parking section got smarter too: ADA spaces, zone-specific lots, motorcycle parking, EV chargers, all now findable without a scavenger hunt.
Speaking of bikes — mid-September, Transportation Services breaks ground on OSU’s first stand-alone secure bike garage, which sounds like a small thing until you realize it’s swallowing eight car parking spaces and spitting out 92 bike spaces in their place. It’s going up just south of the Health Center, at 850 SW 26th St., and will come with wheelchair-accessible bike parking, cargo bike parking, and charging ports for e-bikes and scooters. Nobody’s parking a bike in it just yet, though — the earliest estimate has it opening by spring term 2027, so file this one under “worth the wait, eventually.”
And for the car-commuting faithful: current annual A, B, or C permit holders can renew online starting at noon on Sept. 1. If you’re new to the game, or thinking about switching zones, general sales open Sept. 15. The damage for 2026-2027: $826 for A zone, $575 for B, and $167 for C. Choose wisely, or at least choose before the good spots are gone.
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