Parking and Transportation Services is committed to making parking garage access as smooth and reliable as possible for the University of Houston community. To support that goal, we want to share how garage gate access works, a common issue we have identified, and a simple way permit holders can help prevent access problems.
How Garage Gate Access Works
UH parking garages use license plate recognition technology at entry and exit points. Cameras read the rear license plate of a vehicle as it approaches the gate and check that plate against the system to confirm it is associated with a valid permit for that specific garage.
When a valid permit is confirmed, the gate opens automatically. After the vehicle passes through, the gate closes and the system records the entry or exit.
If a license plate cannot be read, drivers can still access the garage by tapping their physical Cougar Card or scanning the QR code generated by the digital Cougar Card within the UH Go app.
Why Access Issues Sometimes Occur
Occasionally, permit holders report that a garage gate does not open as expected, even though they have a valid permit. When we review these situations, we sometimes find that the permit has experienced an anti-passback violation.
Garage permits are designed to follow a specific usage sequence. An entry must be followed by an exit, then another entry, then another exit. If the system records two entries in a row or two exits in a row for the same permit, access is temporarily restricted to prevent improper use.
This can happen when the system does not successfully record a previous entry or exit.
A Common Cause We Have Identified
After reviewing access concerns across multiple garages, we have identified a frequent cause of these issues. They often occur when a vehicle follows very closely behind another vehicle while entering or exiting a garage.
When vehicles pass through the gate area back-to-back without adequate spacing, the license plate recognition system may not have enough time to reset between vehicles. In those cases, the system can mistakenly associate the second vehicle’s movement with the permit of the vehicle ahead of it.
As a result, even though the second vehicle physically enters or exits the garage, that action may not be recorded correctly on the permit. The next time the driver attempts to access a garage, the system may detect activity that appears out of sequence.
How Permit Holders Can Help
To help prevent these access issues, we kindly ask drivers to allow a brief space between their vehicle and the vehicle ahead of them when entering or exiting a parking garage.
Providing enough distance between vehicles allows the system to process each license plate individually and ensures that entries and exits are recorded accurately on the correct permit.
We Are Here to Assist
We appreciate the cooperation of our permit holders as we continue to use and improve license plate recognition technology across campus garages. If you experience a garage access issue or have questions about your permit, Parking and Transportation Services is happy to help.
By working together, we can keep garage access reliable, efficient, and safe for everyone at UH.