SECTION: GENERAL INDEX: A-19
SUBJECT: CAMPUS PARKING AND TRAFFIC POLICY
POLICY
The university has established this policy and associated procedures for the safety and security of the campus community as well as to manage limited parking resources for the benefit of all. All laws regulating traffic apply to the operation of vehicles within the property of the university. All university faculty and staff shall register their vehicles and properly display a valid parking permit. Beginning with the Fall 2009 semester, parking permits will no longer be required for students. Students are authorized to park in any unreserved space without a permit. This includes any unreserved space on either UHV or The Victoria College parking lots. At the UHV campus, students may also park in certain reserved spaces when those spaces are not reserved.
Parking at the University of Houston-Victoria campus is shared with The Victoria College. Parking and traffic regulations are enforced by UHDPS Campus Security and The Victoria College Campus Police and Security who randomly patrol campus parking lots. Citations will result in various Sanctions and Penalties, including warnings, fines, towing and financial stops on student accounts. Review the Common Parking and Traffic Violations section for more information on common violation which may warrant a citation.
It is unlawful for any person to park a vehicle on an institution of higher education except in a manner designed by the institution and in the spaces marked (51.205, Texas Education Code). Additionally, the university has authority to bar or suspend driving or parking privileges for rule violations (Section 51.207, Texas Education Code).
This policy establishes procedures specifically for the campus in Victoria. University employees and students conducting business at other off-campus sites, including The Victoria College, UHS at Sugar Land, and UHS at Cinco Ranch are expected to comply with any parking and traffic policies at those locations.
PROCEDURES
Administration
Parking and traffic control on the UHV campus is administered through the Department of Business Services in the University West building, Suite 107.
Parking related inquiries at UHS at Sugar Land should be directed to Security by calling (281) 275-3302 or 3304.
Parking related inquiries at UHS at Cinco Ranch may be directed to the administration offices by calling (281) 395-2800, extension 6000 or 6021.
Parking related inquires at The Victoria College should be directed to the Business Office by calling (361) 573-3291.
Damages or Loss to Vehicles
The University of Houston-Victoria will make a reasonable effort to protect vehicles parked on the UHV campus by providing random security patrols of the parking lots. The university does not assume responsibility nor carry any insurance for damages or losses to vehicles or personal property. In the event of a theft or accident, drivers are strongly encouraged to immediately file a police report with the City of Victoria and to report the incident to Campus Security, (361) 570-4830 or email securityofficer@uhv.edu.
Where to Park on the UHV Campus
Please refer to the Campus Map for the location of UHV and VC parking lots.
Students
· May park in any unreserved space on either The Victoria College or UHV Campus.
· May park in “yellow” reserved spaces ONLY if the space is clearly marked as being unreserved for portions of each day and the student is parking during the unreserved time. (Example: Parking in reserved space at 6:30 p.m. is allowed when space indicates reserved parking from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).
UHV Employees
· May park in any “yellow” employee reserved spaces in any UHV lot, including Parking Lot Q, T, and U.
· May park in the shared VC/UHV parking lot “S” directly north of the University West building - Central Receiving entrance.
· May park in any Victoria College or UHV student parking space. Whenever possible, employees should first attempt to park in the UHV reserved spaces set aside for that purpose.
· Employees are not permitted to park in any of The Victoria College reserved spaces with the exception of UHV/VC Library employees.
· May park in UHV visitor spaces after 6:00 p.m.
Officials from other UHS
Components
· Parking permits from other University of Houston components will be honored. UHS component visitors may park in any UHV reserved space, provided the vehicle is displaying a valid parking permit from the other UHS component.
· May park in lot “T”, Special Events, without a permit.
UH Alumni or Students from other
UHS Components
Visitors
A campus visitor is defined as an individual who is not a student or employee of UHV or VC. Visitors include prospective students, guests, alumni, persons from other UH components, vendors and the general public. Visitors may park in the following areas:
Permits
University faculty and staff must register their vehicles and properly display a valid parking permit. Vehicles are not considered registered until parking permits are properly displayed. A parking permit does not guarantee a parking space but allows an individual to park if space is available. A separate parking permit is required for each vehicle for identification and tracking purposes. Parking permits for the UHV campus may be obtained by faculty and staff from the Visitor Information Kiosk located in the University Center building.
Before a permit is issued, employees will be required to:
· Clear any outstanding parking/traffic fines
· Provide license plate number and year/model/make and color of each vehicle for identification purposes.
Permit Placement
It is the permit holder's responsibility to properly display parking permits at all times while parked on campus. Permits may be displayed in any of the following locations:
· Hung from the rear view mirror with the permit number facing the windshield and clearly visible from the outside of the vehicle.
· Applied to the rear bumper or to the back window glass on either the passenger or driver’s side.
· Permits are required for non-motorized vehicles, motorcycles or scooters and must be clearly visible.
Permit placement instruction will also be provided within the parking/traffic rules that accompany the permit.
Types of Permits Issued
All permits are issued at the Visitor Information Kiosk, University Center building. Types of permits include:
· Employee Parking Permit – Issued only to UHV permanent employees including staff, faculty and adjunct faculty, unless noted otherwise below.
· Temporary Parking Permit – Temporary parking permits may be issued to:
1. Temporary employees, either on payroll or hired through an employment agency. A temporary permit will entitle these employees to park in any UHV unreserved parking area.
2. Employees driving a loaner or rental vehicle. A temporary permit will entitle employees to park in their normal designated parking areas.
3. Campus visitors who will be on site longer than one (1) hour and to construction/service providers working on campus. A temporary permit will entitle campus visitors and construction/service providers to park in areas designated by the permit approver.
· Disabled Parking Permit - UHV, as a state institution, follows the same guidelines as the State of Texas. For individuals with disabilities, application must be made through the individual's local tax assessor office for the specially designated state license plate or hanger which displays the disabled symbol recognized throughout the State. Disabled parking permits must be prominently displayed. Temporary disability parking permits are also available and will be issued to any person with a short term disability (broken limb, recent surgery, etc) when presenting medical documentation or other evidence of need.
Common Parking and Traffic Violations
At each campus location, rules, regulations and violations may vary. It is the driver's responsibility to be aware of each campuses parking and traffic regulations. Citations will be issued for parking in Fire Zone spaces, Handicap Parking spaces, or parking in Reserved spaces during restricted times. Additionally, citations will be issued for obstructing walkways or traffic flow, failing to stop at stop signs, failure to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and unsafe driving or activity which endangers others.
Common violations at the UHV campus include:
· Expired parking permit
· No permit, or permit improperly displayed or hidden from view
· Unauthorized parking in restricted areas including:
Fines - Traffic or parking citations may be cleared by paying a fine or successfully appealing the fine. The schedule of fines is based upon violations received each academic year (beginning 9/1) and is as follows:
|
First violation |
$5.00 |
Each academic year |
|
Second violation |
$10.00 |
Each academic year |
|
Third violation |
$15.00 |
Each academic year |
|
Fourth & subsequent violations |
$25.00 |
Each academic year |
|
Fire/Danger (red) or illegal |
$25.00 |
Each occurrence |
Vehicles parked on the UHV campus in reserved spaces (including handicap, visitor, etc.) without a current decal will be identified through the Texas Department of Public Safety for ownership name and address. The cost of this additional step may be added to the parking violation charge.
Financial Stops - Students - Upon receipt of a parking violation, the Department of Business Services will place financial stops on the students’ account records through the Bursar’s Office for the amount of the violation. This action will cause future registration, transcript requests and other privileges to be denied pending payment of the fine or a successful appeal of the violation.
Suspension of Parking Privileges - Any individual receiving excessive parking and traffic citations, regardless of paid status, during an academic year (Fall through Summer) is subject to having UHV campus parking privileges suspended for a minimum of 30 days and up to the remainder of the academic year. The Safety Office will determine excessive citations based on the frequency and severity of parking and traffic violations.
Unpaid Fines – Employees - Prior to the end of each fiscal year, employees with outstanding violations will be notified by Business Services. If an employee does not pay, the cabinet-level supervisor will be informed and may result in disciplinary action or other sanctions.
Towing - Vehicles of students and employees may be towed. Costs of towing and storage are the responsibility of the owner of the towed vehicle. The owner will also be responsible for any towing company response fee in the event that a tow truck has been dispatched, even if the vehicle has been removed by the driver prior to the response. The Department of Business Services may be contacted for the name and telephone number of the towing company and location of the storage yard for vehicles towed.
As a matter of practice, the university will always attempt to contact the permit holder before towing. However, the university has the right to tow any vehicle without prior notification. Reasons for towing include:
· The vehicle is parked or left unattended in any location that blocks or impedes traffic or causes other safety hazards;
· The vehicle has significant leakage of oil, transmission, antifreeze or fuel spilling unto the grounds;
· The vehicle is considered abandoned. Abandoned vehicles are defined here as non-permitted vehicles left on campus more than 72 hours without prior notification to Business Services;
· The vehicle has four or more outstanding parking violations.
Where to Pay Fines
UHV Fines – Fines must be paid to the UHV Cashier, Suite 115, University West building. Fines may also be paid by mail by sending payment and a copy of the ticket to:
University of Houston-Victoria
Finance Department – Cashier Parking
3007 N. Ben Wilson
Victoria, Texas 77901-5731
VC Fines – Fines must be paid through College Central, which is located in the Administration I Building. Fines can also be paid by mail by sending payment and a copy of the ticket to:
The
Victoria College
College
Central – Parking
2200
E. Red River
Victoria,
Texas 77901
Parking Appeal Procedures
Students or employees who receive a parking violation on the UHV campus have 30 calendar days to appeal from the citation date. The right to appeal is lost after 30 days.
Note: Citations issued in error by the university may be voided anytime at the discretion of the Campus Safety & Risk Manager (or designee).
Special Events Parking
Parking spaces for both employees and students are limited throughout the campus, especially at peak class load times. Parking Lot "T", at the east entrance and abutting Ben Wilson, is unreserved and available for special events, school buses, employees and students. No parking permit, either regular or temporary, is required. All special events sponsors shall provide event visitors with a copy of a campus map and directions to designated parking lot(s).
Reserved Parking
The intention of the following procedures is to limit reserved parking to infrequent functions that involve external representatives who contribute considerable time, effort and resources in behalf of the university.
Current campus parking areas are readily accessible to primary facilities with short walk distances involved. With few exceptions, visitors should routinely be directed to Parking Lot "T" where no permit is required for such purposes. Guests with disabilities should be directed to the closest handicapped accessible parking. Visitors may also park in marked visitor spaces in UHV lots if the visit will not exceed one (1) hour.
Reserved parking is authorized for the following visitors and functions:
· Regents (current and former)
· UHS Chancellor and Vice Chancellors
· Any UH Component President
· State Elected Officials
· Board of Regents Meetings
· Quarterly President’s Regional Advisory Board Meetings (PRAB)
Reservation of spaces will otherwise be an exception approved by the President or designated administrator in charge at the time. Exceptions will be generally limited to relatively infrequent activities involving UHS and other external representatives e.g., Presidential Search Committee or Art Acquisitions Committee.
When possible, arrangements should be made so that spaces do not have to be reserved all day. Also, when an attendant is required, it will be sufficient for the attendant to be on hand for no more than 30 minutes before and after the event.
Approved:
Signature Obtained 07/29/2009
Tim Hudson, Ph.D. Date
President
Next review date: July 2011
Origination: Business Services Department, Campus Safety & Risk Manager