Traffic and Parking Regulations (enforced 24 hours a day)

Penn State Schuylkill's Traffic and Parking Regulations are designed to accomplish these three objectives:

  • To provide for the efficient use of parking space and the orderly flow of traffic
  • To protect the safety and security of persons and property
  • To ensure consistent and fair representation of the needs of the entire campus community

All provisions of the Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must be enforced. Provisions of these regulations are in effect at all times, unless otherwise announced.

All vehicles are subject to these regulations. The operator is responsible for knowing the regulations and for informing others who operate vehicles on campus on his or her behalf. Any parking violations, regardless of who is driving, shall be the responsibility of the registrant.

Students, whether they reside on or off campus must register their vehicles with the Penn State Schuylkill Office of Police Services if their vehicles will be driven or parked on campus at any time. Faculty and Staff must register their vehicles with the Office of Business Services. Visitors to campus are encouraged to obtain a guest pass from Business Services, prior to driving or parking their vehicles on campus.

Each parking permit is registered to a person, not his or her vehicle. Only one motor vehicle can be used on campus in conjunction with the parking permit at any given time.

AUTHORITY

100 The Pennsylvania Administrative Code, Section 2416 (a) allows Penn State Schuylkill to have campus police officers who may possess and exercise all the powers of a police officer in this Commonwealth in and upon the property of the Campus.

101 Section 6113 (b) of the Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania permits Penn State Schuylkill to control public travel in and upon its property with traffic control devices.

102 Section 6109 of the Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provides for the elected officials of a university or college to establish rules and regulations concerning traffic control and parking.

103 As indicated in Section 6109 (b) the elected officials of a university or college can appoint someone to review all requests for traffic control devices and then adopt appropriate ordinances for the required traffic-control devices.

104 A general traffic ordinance can be approved by the elected officials of a university or college giving full authority to an individual such as the Supervisor of Police Services or a commission authorizing one or the other to approve the erections of specific traffic control devices.

105 Jurisdiction for enforcing all traffic and payment of fines, shall be under the direction of the Supervisor of Police Services, Penn State Schuylkill.

106 Appeals of parking violations shall be under the jurisdiction of the Penn State Schuylkill Traffic Appeals Board.

107 An appointed Traffic Committee shall review the rules and regulations and existing conditions, and make recommendations to the Chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill concerning general traffic ordinances.

DEFINITIONS

Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent provisions of these Rules and Regulations, the words and phrases below shall be defined hereafter as follows:

Authorized Vehicle

Any vehicle designated as such by definition in the Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Any vehicle designated as such by the Traffic Committee.

Commuter Students

All persons enrolled in formal or informal instructional programs of the University who do not reside on campus.

Emergency Vehicle

Any vehicle designated as such by definition of the Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Faculty and Staff: All persons who are not students and are employed full-time or part-time at Penn State Schuylkill.

Park or Parking

When permitted, the temporary storing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, off the roadway.

When prohibited, the halting of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except momentarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading property of passengers.

Parking Space

An area designated by lines on an improved surface for the parking of one vehicle.

Pedestrians

Persons afoot or persons in wheelchairs.

Permit

An instrument issued by Police Services to verify that the operator of a vehicle has registered the vehicle and has paid the fee for parking.

Resident Students

All persons enrolled in formal or informal instructional programs of the University who reside in the Nittany Apartments.

Roadway

The entire width between the boundary lines of every way maintained when any part thereof is open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel.

Shall

Indicates that an action is required.

Sidewalk

Improved areas designed specifically for pedestrian traffic.

Student Parking Lots

Those parking areas that are restricted for use by resident students and commuter students during reserved time spans.

Suspension

To withdraw registration privileges temporarily by formal action of the University.

Vehicle

Shall include bicycles, automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, motorbikes, motor scooters, and any other motor driven vehicle. A skateboard is not considered a vehicle by this definition

Visitor

Any person on the grounds of Penn State Schuylkill who is neither a student nor a faculty or staff member.

Walkway

Those areas specifically designated for pedestrian traffic only.

REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

300 Registration of Vehicles

All motor vehicles possessed, maintained, or operated at Penn State Schuylkill by any students, faculty, or staff member shall be registered. All registered vehicles shall bear a parking permit, which shall be hung from the interior rear view mirror, indicating the areas in which the vehicle may be parked (i.e. student, faculty/staff lots).

  • Parking permits cannot be sold or loaned to another person
  • Students shall register their vehicles for the semester no later than two (2) weeks after the start of classes and faculty and staff members shall register their vehicles with the Office of Business Services within one week of the first day of their employment.
  • Any person who receives a parking ticket for not registering their vehicle and appears at the Office of Police Services within ten (10) days of the violation shall have the parking ticket reduced to Improper Display if they:
    • Immediately register their vehicle
    • Have only one parking ticket for non-registration.
  • Changes of license plate number, name, address, or telephone number shall be reported to the Office of Police Services within ten (10) days of such change.
  • A special parking permit may be issued to drivers who have suffered a temporary physical injury. This permit will expire (3) weeks from the date of issue. The special parking permit allows the driver to park in the lot designated on the permit. The special permit does not allow the driver to park in any designated handicapped parking space nor in spaces marked as tow away zones. The special parking permit may not be renewed. It is the driver's responsibility to obtain a temporary handicapped parking permit from PennDOT if necessary.

301 Permits

  • Permits shall be displayed on any vehicle operated by the person to whom the permit was issued
  • Permits not properly displayed shall be deemed invalid.
  • Permits shall be hung from the interior rear view mirror within the permit numbers facing the front of the vehicle so that the entire permit number is clearly visible.
  • Red permits are for resident & commuter students.
  • Brown permits are for Nittany I residential students.
  • Faculty and Staff permits are determined by the employment status of the faculty or staff member.
  • Permits are hanging tags assigned to the registrant and not the vehicle. These permits may be transferred to another motor vehicle being used by the registered student or faculty or staff member. Those forgetting to transfer their permits shall obtain a temporary permit from the Office of Police Services.
  • Motorcycles or other motorized vehicles shall contact Police Services for information as to permit display.
  • Visitor Permits: Visitors are not required to display a permit, but they are encouraged to obtain a Visitor Permit any time they are on campus. Visitor Permits may be obtained from the Office of Business Services. There is no cost for a Visitor Permit.

302 Costs

  • There is no cost to register a faculty, staff, or student vehicle at Penn State Schuylkill
  • Purpose: The above provisions have been enacted to ensure that each motor vehicle at Penn State Schuylkill displays a current parking permit. In cases where multiple vehicles are covered under one registration, only one vehicle may be present on campus at a given time.

303 State Registration, Insurance, And Operator License

All motor vehicles on Penn State Schuylkill property shall be properly registered with the appropriate state.

Proof of current state registration and a valid operator's license for the individual who will be driving the vehicle shall be provided at the time of registration.

Expiration, revocation, or suspension of state registration, operator's license, or insurance automatically invalidates the Penn State Schuylkill motor vehicle registration. It shall be the responsibility of the registered individual to notify the Office of Police and Safely Services of all expirations, revocations, or suspensions.

304 Liability

The Pennsylvania State University assumes no responsibility or liability for loss or damage to any motor vehicle parked on Penn State Schuylkill property.

305 Civil Contract

All students, faculty, and staff of Penn State Schuylkill who register their motor vehicles are signifying their agreement with the Pennsylvania State University's civil contract policy.

This contract permits unpaid penalties for parking violations to be placed on the student's bill or deducted from the faculty or staff member's pay in the amount of the appropriate fine plus a $3.00 processing fee.

In no instance shall a deduction be made without first attempting to contact the student, faculty, or staff member or by campus mail within ten (10) days of the date of the violation.

This civil contract does not prevent the issuance of a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania traffic citation from being issued.

TOWING

400 Towing

The University reserves the right to tow any illegally parked vehicle at the risk and expense of the owner.

401 Pennsylvania State Law

Section 3353 (c) of the Vehicle Code states, in part, "Property owner may remove vehicle. The owner or other person in charge of possession of any property on which a vehicle is parked or left unattended in violation of the provisions of subsection (b) may remove or have removed the vehicle at the reasonable expense of the owner of the vehicle. Such person who removes a vehicle left parked or unattended in violation of the provisions of subsection (b) shall have a lien against the owner of the vehicle ..."

402 Procedure

  • Any vehicle parked or left unattended in a manner that constitutes a traffic and /or safety hazard, parked on or is blocking a sidewalk, is parked in a space that is reserved on a 24-hour basis, whose parking permit is suspended, or is parked in any location where notice is given, shall be towed immediately, without prior notice of the owner.
  • Except for section (1) above, before a vehicle is towed, a reasonable attempt (including signs, verbal or written notices) shall be made to contact the owner.
  • If the owner or operator of a vehicle cannot be contacted, the vehicle will be removed by University at the owner's expense.
  • If a vehicle is towed, the owner shall be notified by registered mail, if the owner has not been contacted within one day of the towing.
  • Towing charges shall be those set forth by the towing agent, and the owner shall be responsible for the towing charges.

403 Disabled Vehicles

As a courtesy to other members of the community, drivers whose vehicles are inoperable shall immediately notify Police Services.

404 Suspended Vehicles

When parked on campus, owners who have had their parking permits suspended will have their vehicles towed without prior notice.

VIOLATIONS

500 Violations

Unregistered Vehicle

Any student, faculty, or staff member who is found to possess, maintain, or operate a vehicle that is required by these regulations to be registered while on the grounds of Penn State Schuylkill, and who has failed to register the vehicle with the proper authority, commits a violation of these regulations.

Moving Violations

All moving violations shall be charged under the appropriate section of the Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

  1. Parked on Sidewalk or Walkway: No person shall operate any motor vehicle (except those operating emergency or authorized vehicles in the performance of their duties) upon any area designated as a sidewalk or walkway.
  2. Parking at Yellow Curb: No person shall park a vehicle next to any curb that is marked in yellow.
  3. Parking Along Roadway: No person shall park a vehicle on the roadway or along the roadway anywhere on the property of Penn State Schuylkill unless authorized signs permitting parking in a specific area are in place.
  4. No Parking Area: No person shall park a vehicle in any place at Penn State Schuylkill other than in approved parking spaces in parking lots. This section prohibits parking on grass, parking too close to another vehicle, parking within fifteen feet of fire hydrants, blocking a parked vehicle, blocking an access road, or parking in any place not specifically designated for parking.
  5. Parking in Loading Zone: Parking shall be permitted in areas that are designed to posted as loading areas provided that the vehicle is in the act of either being loaded or unloaded.
  6. Parking in Reserved or Restricted Space: No person shall park a vehicle in any area designated by sign or regulation to be either reserved or restricted unless that area is reserved or restricted specifically for their use. Vehicles found in violation of this section are subject to being towed.
  7. Parking Outside of Lines: All vehicles that are parked in an approved parking lot that is marked with spaces shall be parked in such a manner so that no part of the vehicle extends over the lines designating the space.
  8. Driving in Unauthorized Areas: No person shall operate a motor vehicle on any trails, access roads, or in any area not designated for public travel or in any area posted "for emergency or authorized vehicles only."
  9. Parking in Wrong Area: No person who is authorized to park a vehicle at Penn State Schuylkill shall park in an area that is not intended for his or her classification of permit.
  10. Permit Improperly Displayed or Current Permit Not Displayed: Any person who has a valid permit shall display the permit on his or her vehicle as prescribed by these rules and regulations.
  11. Failure to Report Change of License/Address: Any person who has been issued a parking permit and changes his or her license plate number, name, or address, shall report such change to the Office of Police Service within ten (10) days of such change.
  12. Handicap Space: No person shall park a vehicle in any parking space at Penn State Schuylkill that is posted or marked as a handicap space unless he or she displays a handicap plate or placard issued by PennDOT and the vehicle is being operated by or for the transportation of a handicapped person.
  13. Fifteen-Minute Loading Zone: No person shall park a vehicle in a parking space designated by signs as a fifteen minute loading zone except for the purpose of loading or unloading. The vehicle shall not be parked for more than fifteen minutes and the hazard lights shall be in use.
  14. Lending/Misusing Permit: Anyone who lends or misuses the permit issued to his or her vehicle shall be in violation of these regulations.
  15. Using a Parking Permit Issued to Another: Anyone who uses a parking permit that has been issued to another person shall be in violation to these regulations.
  16. Fraudulent Use of Parking Permit: Anyone who manufactures, alters, or possesses an unauthorized parking permits shall be in violation of these regulations.

501 Habitual Offenders

Any student, faculty, or staff member who receives five (5) citations within one semester shall be advised in writing of the Policy on Suspension of Parking Privileges.

502 Suspension Of Parking Privileges

  • Any student, faculty, or staff members who receive nine (9) citations within one semester, shall have his or her parking privileges suspended for a period of one (1) week.
  • Any person who parks a vehicle at Penn State Schuylkill during his or her suspension period shall be issued a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Citation for violations of Section 3353 (b) of the Vehicle Code, and the vehicle will be towed at the owner's expense.
  • A $10.00 restoration fee will be charged to register vehicles whose permits have been suspended. This is in addition to the normal charge for registering a vehicle.
  • Any subsequent parking violation within the same semester of a suspension shall result in an additional suspension of one (1) week.

503 Serious Violations

Violations of a serious nature shall result in the suspension of parking privileges and, in addition, may result in the issuance of a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Traffic Citation/Summons.

504 Continuing Violation

More than one parking ticket/citation may be written for the same, continuing offense if the vehicle remains parked in violation in excess of twenty-four (24) hours. Except, more than one ticket/citation may be written for the same, continuing offense if a vehicle remains in violation of fifteen (15) minute zones in excess of eight (8) hours.

505 Miscellaneous

  • Motorcycles, motor bikes, and motor scooters shall be parked in specially designated areas.
  • Penn State Schuylkill has established special parking areas for visitors. Regulations regarding visitor parking are available from the Business Office. If you have visitors, please make certain that they are aware of the visitor parking regulations prior to their arrival. It is also recommended that all visitors obtain a visitor parking permit, at no cost, from Business Services.
  • A vehicle owned or operated by a student who is not also an employee, but is married to an employee, or is the son or daughter of an employee, shall be considered as a "Student Vehicle."
  • All traffic accidents occurring on campus shall be reported to the Office of Police Services.
  • In case of an emergency, the emergency flashers or head lamps of the vehicle must be activated.

ENFORCEMENT

600 Exclusions

Emergency, maintenance, and delivery vehicles directly engaged in the performance of their assigned duties are excluded from parking regulations. However, said vehicles shall not be operated or parked in any manner that constitutes a safety hazard.

601 Visitors

Visitors are requested to park in the appropriate lots as indicated under Section 700. Visitors are required to display a parking permit. A visitor permit may be obtained from the Office of Business Services in the Business Services Building. There is no cost for a visitor permit.

602 Payment

In all cases the violator's copy of the parking ticket shall be brought to the Office of Police and Safety Services within ten (10) days of the violations.

  • If the fine is not paid or appealed within ten days, there will be an additional $3.00 late fee and could cause a hold to be placed on the violator's transcripts and registration.
  • All unpaid tickets of students will be billed to the student's account.
  • All unpaid tickets of Faculty/Staff will be payroll deducted.

603 Appeals

All appeals shall be made within seven (10) days of the date of the issuance. Appeals must be filed on official forms obtained from the Office of Business Services. Payment must be made in cash, by check, or money order. All appeal decisions are final. If the appeal is decided in your favor, the full value of the parking ticket will be promptly refunded. You will be notified of the Appeals Committee decision by mail.

  • Student & Faculty/Staff appeals will be forwarded to the Traffic Appeals Committee. Appeals will be reviewed in written form only.

604 Disposition Of Fines

All monies collected for parking violations of these rules and regulations are given to the Student Government Association.

605 Prima Facie

The registration information shall be prima facie evidence against the registered owner of said vehicle in question.

606

Nothing in these regulations shall preclude the filing of charges under the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Vehicle Code or Crimes Code.

607 Final Notice

As a courtesy, attempts will be made to notify violators who have not paid or appealed the ticket via U.S. or campus mail.

PARKING SPACES

700 Parking Lots

There are seven (7) parking lots on campus to which the following restrictions apply:

  • Reserved space and handicap signs shall be obeyed at all times.
  • While Penn State Schuylkill does not guarantee the registrant a parking space, all attempts are made to meet the parking demand. Due to circumstances beyond the control of Penn State Schuylkill, there may be times when parking is difficult to locate. Under such circumstances, contact the Office of Police and Safety Services for assistance.
  • Penn State Schuylkill reserves the right to open or restrict parking for special purposes at any time.

701 Lot Designation

Restrictions

Blue A Administration Lot: Faculty, Staff, & Visitors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Properly registered student vehicles are permitted from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. weekdays and all weekend hours.

Blue C Classroom Lot: Faculty & Staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Properly registered student vehicles are permitted from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. weekdays and all weekend hours

Blue HW Health & Wellness Lot: Faculty & Staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Properly registered student vehicles are permitted from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. weekdays and all weekend hours

Blue P Physical Plant Lot: Faculty & Staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Red S Student Lot: Visitors and properly registered students may park in any non-restricted space, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Green S LEED Student Lot: Properly registered students with fuel-efficient vehicles may park in any non-restricted space, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Brown S Nittany I Lot: Nittany I resident student parking only 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Fines

801 Schedule of fines

Anyone found to be in violation of any section of Article V dealing with violations of these regulations shall be charged the amount listed below.

  • Unregistered vehicles: $20.00
  • Fraudluent, altered, or unathorized permit: $20.00
  • Parked in a handicap space: $50.00
  • Parked in a reserved space: $20.00
  • Parked in a No Parking Zone: $20.00
  • Parked in a restricted area: $20.00
  • Parked in a roadway: $20.00
  • Parked on the grass: $20.00
  • Parked at a yellow curb: $20.00
  • Parked overtime: $20.00
  • Parked in two spaces: $20.00
  • Parked against traffic: $20.00
  • Improperly displayed permit: $20.00
  • Permit not displayed: $20.00
  • Moving violation: $25.00
  • Other: $25.00