Kicking Off 2024 with a Modern Garage

Apprehension and excitement. These were just two of the mixed emotions swirling among the Transportation & Parking Services staff as we headed into the end of the 2023 fall quarter. TPS operations relocated from their two sites at the former Facilities Management site at Mesa and Stadium Roads to make space for the new UCSB student housing development – San Benito. The new location for TPS and much of Design, Facilities & Safety Services is at Navigator Way, just over a mile away in the City of Goleta.

Originally constructed in 1969, the old garage showed its age and was near the end of its useful life. The new garage at Navigator way provides TPS with an opportunity to modernize workspaces and create a better environment for our automotive technicians. Over the course of four weeks, beginning in late November 2023, the central garage moved to the new location.

The new garage is fully contained inside a building shared with TPS offices, Design & Construction Services, and a suite of meeting rooms. The space is outfitted with four modern vehicle hoists, including one specifically designed to accommodate heavy-duty vehicles. These are vehicles that our team previously wasn’t able to lift up to service in our old facility.

My favorite part of the new garage is the 30,000 Lb. hoist. In the past we had to service the larger vehicles outside in the weather, using ramps and jack stands while performing all of the undercarriage work lying down on a creeper. Now, seeing the technicians indoors and standing upright while servicing our big trucks brings really good feelings to me. - Doug Hatt, Garage Supervisor

The shop also includes overhead reels that supply motor oil, transmission fluid, and compressed air to each bay. Each bay is outfitted with exhaust hoses and fans to push vehicle emissions out of the building while vehicles are running. The automotive technicians are enjoying the much-improved space, noting that the shop is much cleaner and free from pests and critters that were sometimes present in the old yard.