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Summary
of Regulations
General
Information
The Board
of Trustees under authority granted to the Board by North
Carolina General Statute 116-44.4 establishes the Parking
and Traffic Regulations of Western Carolina University. This
statutory authority makes the regulations legally binding
on all members of the university community and visitors to
our campus.
This abbreviated
version of the Regulations provides a quick reference to some
of the most important regulations, so that you may be better
prepared to comply voluntarily. It is not intended to replace
the official regulations. Copies of the Parking and Traffic
Regulations along with color-coded maps of campus parking
areas are available at the Traffic Office at the Outreach
Center Annex.
The Regulations
are also available at http://police.wcu.edu/parking.htm.
There you will find all the general regulatory information,
registration information for students, faculty, staff, and
visitors, enforcement, penalties, fines, and appeals. You
will also find a listing of designated parking areas along
with a color-coded map showing assigned lots and a chart showing
the number of parking spaces available in each lot.
The Regulations
have been designed to serve the best interest of the total
university community in a fair and equitable manner. They
may not always allow for individual convenience.
Illegal
Parking
When a
person parks illegally, that person infringes on the rights
and privilege of others who are entitled to vehicular and
pedestrian access to the campus. Voluntary compliance with
the regulations will resolve most of the traffic problems
that occur on campus.
The
Privilege to Park on Campus
Parking
and operating a vehicle on campus is a privilege extended
by the University subject to ordinances adopted by the Board
of Trustees. This privilege may be revoked if a person
seriously or habitually violates the regulations.
A parking
permit is required to secure parking privileges. The permit
does not guarantee a parking space in a specific space or
area. Rather, it authorizes the permit holder to seek a parking
space in an area designated by the Regulations.
But, Western
Carolina University is able to provide ample parking on campus
for all registered vehicles, although spaces will not always
be available at desired locations.
Revocation
of Parking Privileges (Towing)
When one
or more vehicles registered to a student, a faculty member,
a staff member, or a visitor, receives more than five citations
in a semester, the parking privileges of the registered owner
is revoked from the remainder of that semester. It makes no
difference whether the citations are paid or unpaid. Accumulation
of more than five citations indicates that the driver does
not intend to comply with the traffic regulations; therefore
the driver’s privilege to park on campus is revoked.
The vehicle(s) registered to that driver is placed on a tow
list and may be towed at any time it is found on campus.
Parking
privileges will also be revoked for receiving more than
one citation for parking in a handicapped space and for
any fraudulent registration activity.
Vehicles
may also be towed for individual violations where a roadway
or sidewalk is blocked, for parking in a reserved or handicapped
space, and for other violations and situations where towing
is judged necessary to preserve order.
Most of
the time, towed vehicles are impounded on campus. The Traffic
Office pays the wrecker driver. The operator of the vehicle
is responsible for reimbursing the Traffic Office for the
tow charges. At this time, tow charges are $50 in the daytime
and $75 at night.
The Traffic
Regulations authorize a $2 a day storage fee for impounded
vehicles.
Appeals
of towing must be made to the local magistrate at the Jackson
County Justice Center in Sylva, but you may speak to Traffic
Office personnel first if you believe that your vehicle was
improperly towed.
The Traffic
Office is not responsible for damages that occur due to towing.
Individuals who believe that their cars have been damaged
by towing should contact the wrecker service involved. Each
wrecker service that contract to tow on campus must be covered
with liability insurance for such damages.
Registering
Your Vehicle
All vehicle registrations must be made online at the Vehicle Registration Web site . Permits will NOT be mailed. Please monitor the Vehicle Registration Web site for dates, time, and location for permit pickup.
Every
vehicle that is parked on campus must display a parking permit
issued by the Traffic Office.
Parking
permit sales usually begin at freshman orientation in June
for new freshmen. Staff and faculty decals go on sale around
the last week in June. Sales for new and continuing students
begin in July. Sales continue throughout the academic year
at the Traffic Office. All decals purchased except temporaries
and visitor permits expire on August 10 and must be renewed
every year.
Parking
permits may be purchased at any time during the year at the
Traffic Office during normal business hours.
- Pay
the required fee:
- Students Faculty/Staff
- Full
Year $50 per year
- Spring $25
- Summer $15
- Temporary $5
per week
- Motorcycle $25
per year
- Bicycle FREE
(permanent)
- Retired FREE
(permanent)
- (These
prices are effective July 1, 2003)
Payment
for Vehicle Registration
Students:
During the June and July registration periods, a fee for
vehicle registration is attached to all student accounts and
may be paid in a lump sum with other tuition and fees. This
makes it possible for loans, scholarships, and some other
types of financial aid to cover the cost of vehicle registration.
A student
who chooses not to register a vehicle but inadvertently pays
the vehicle registration fee as a part of their bill for tuition
and fees may call the One Stop at 828-227-7170 to have
the charge refunded.
Faculty
and Staff: Faculty and staff must make payment for vehicle
registration by check or cash at all times during the year.
Multiple
Vehicles
All students,
staff, and faculty may register more than one vehicle, however,
freshmen and upperclassman resident students are expected
to have only one car on campus at any time. For commuters,
faculty, and staff members who will have more than one car
on campus at a time, the parking permit for each vehicle is
full-priced.
For anyone
who wishes to register more than one vehicle and will have
only one of the vehicles registered will be on campus at any
given time, a transferable permit is available which
may be moved from one vehicle to another. Transferable permits
may be purchased for the full price of one vehicle registration
plus $1.00 dollar for each additional vehicle listed on the
registration.
Temporary
Decals
Temporary
decals may be purchased for $5.00 per week Temporary decals
may be used when a temporary vehicle is brought to campus
or when a parker cannot pay the full-price for a decal at
the time of registration. Temporary decals must be purchased
if a vehicle is to be on campus more than three days.
Visitor’s
Permits
Visitors
may park in student or faculty/staff spaces (white or yellow
space) which are not designated as a special use space, reserved
space, handicapped space, loading zone, etc. Normally, a visitor
who receives a parking citation for no registration may have
that citation waived by filling out the back of the citation
and bringing by or mailing it to the Traffic Office (instructions
are on the back of the citation).
But, visitors
are expected to obey all other parking regulations on campus
and may be asked to pay fines for handicapped parking violations,
no parking zones, parking on the grass, parking on sidewalks,
parking in driveways or in undesignated spaces, and overtime
parking.
University
personnel who are inviting groups of more than five people
to campus should notify the Traffic Office and discuss parking
arrangements before invitations are issued. Remember, all
conferences or activities on campus must be coordinated through
the Office of Continuing Education and Summer School and a
form must be completed to assure that the function is registered
and placed on the University calendar http://www.wcu.edu/chancellor/index/universitypolicy/policy47.html.
Vehicle
Registration Exceptions (Open Parking)
Vehicles
parked in the academic area after 5:00 p. m. on weekdays and
at any time on weekends are not required to display a parking
permit. So graduate students and commuting students who are
only on campus after 5:00 p. m. need not register their vehicles.
However,
the Traffic Regulations require all faculty and staff to register
their vehicles. Any student who chooses not to register their
vehicle and finds that they must park on campus on a weekday
before 5:00 p. m. to use the library, visit the Bookstore,
or take care of other business must be responsible for citations
they receive for no registration.
This exception
does not apply to parking at the residence halls. All vehicles
at the residence halls must be registered at all times.
Unregistered
Vehicles
When unregistered
vehicles receive citations, the owners of the vehicle are
identified through computerized links with motor vehicle offices
in all 50 states. If the owner is identified as a student,
staff member, faculty member, or a member of such person’s
family, the fines are applied to that individual’s account.
Trading
Cars
If pieces
of the old decal are not turned in, the parking regulations
require that the purchaser pay full price for the new decal.
Lost
or Stolen Decals
Report
all lost or stolen decals to the University Police Department.
Lost or stolen decals must be replaced at full price. University
Police will investigate all thefts, prosecute offenders where
possible, and assist the victim in recovering the cost of
the stolen decal from the thief.
Where
To Park
Generally,
yellow stripes denote spaces for faculty and staff members;
white spaces are for students. White spaces near the academic
buildings are for commuter students. White spaces near the
residence halls are for resident students. Freshmen must park
in the freshman/overflow lots. Be sure to observe parking
control signs designating other restrictions in these categories.
COMMUTERS
(C-Decals)
A Commuter
is a student parker who officially resides off-campus
and drives to campus for classes.
Commuters
may park in the white spaces in the academic area at any time.
Freshmen who are officially approved to live off campus are
allowed to purchase and display commuter parking permits.
Commuters may park in faculty/staff
(yellow) spaces from 5:00 p. m. to 7:00 a. m. and on weekends
except in areas that are specially designated 24-hour faculty/staff
parking such as the Brown and Dodson Cafeteria staff lots.
Commuters
may also park in the overflow spaces in the freshman lots.
RESIDENTS
(R-Decals)
A resident
student for parking purposes is an upperclassman that lives
in the residence halls. An upperclassman is a student
who has at least 30 hours of academic credit recorded with
the Registrar’s Office.
Upperclassman
resident students may park in the white-lined spaces at the
residence halls at any time. They may not park in the academic
area between 7:00 a. m. and 5:00 p. m. Resident students are
expected to walk to class.
Upperclassman
resident students may park in faculty/staff spaces or commuter
spaces in the academic area from 5:00 p. m. to 7:00 a. m.
and on weekends.
Resident
students may also park in overflow spaces in the freshman
lots.
FRESHMEN
(A-Decals)
A freshman
student for parking purposes is a student who officially
lives in the residence halls and has completed less than 30
hours of academic credit.
Freshmen
must park in the freshmen/overflow lots most of the time.
Freshmen are allowed to park at the residence halls from 5:00
p. m. on Fridays until 8:00 p. m. on Sundays.
Freshman
may not drive to class or to other areas of campus to conduct
business.
GRADUATE
STUDENTS, TEACHING ASSISTANTS, GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
Graduate
students, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants are
considered students for the purpose of vehicle registration.
They are not eligible for faculty/staff decals because there
are not enough faculty/staff spaces to accommodate even those
graduate students who have teaching responsibilities or assistantships.
They must register their vehicles as commuting students or
resident students.
WESTERN
STUDENTS WITH CLASSES AT UNC-ASHEVILLE
WESTERN
FACULTY AND STAFF WHO WORK AT UNC-ASHEVILLE
Students
who have all of their classes at UNC-Asheville must purchase
a UNCA decal. Western Carolina University honors UNCA decals
in the proper zones at WCU. For instance, a graduate student
at UNCA with a student decal must park in a student space
when on campus at Western Carolina.
Faculty
and staff whose primary duty station is on the UNCA campus
must purchase a UNCA decal. The UNCA decal is honored in faculty/staff
spaces on the Western campus.
FACULTY/STAFF
(1-Decals)
Faculty/staff
decals (Zone 1) are issued to employees of the University
who are not graduate assistants or teaching assistants. An
employee is a person who is paid by the University or a private
contractor such as Aramark, is listed as an employee in Human
Resources or in Academic Affairs, and is not at the University
primarily for their own educational advancement.
Generally,
employees park in yellow-lined spaces and may not park in
white spaces. There are some local exceptions to this rule
at the residence halls for housekeepers (who may park in white
spaces at the residence halls where they work), in the Baptist
Church Lot, and in the Old Warehouse Lot between the Bookstore
and the Print Shop, and in the Outreach Center.
Faculty/staff
may also park in any of the overflow spaces at the stadium,
the Ramsey Center, the baseball field lot, and the Walker
A lot.
*Faculty
and staff, whose primary duty station is on the campus of
UNC-Asheville, see the section above.
Questions
about employee status should be directed to the Traffic Office.
RETIRED
FACULTY/STAFF (E-Decals)
Faculty
and staff members who retire in good standing with the University
are eligible for free parking privileges. The registration
process is the same as that listed above under Registering
Your Vehicle.
Vehicles
displaying "E" decals may park in any white or yellow space
which is not designated as a reserved, handicapped, loading
zone, or other type of special use space.
"E" decals
need not be replaced on a yearly basis; they are permanent
decals. But if a vehicle is traded or sold, the pieces of
the old decal should be turned in to the Traffic Office to
secure a replacement decal. "E" decals that are faded may
be replaced at no charge.
Retired
decals may not be used by students or other family members
who are employees of the University.
CHANGING
STATUS
When a
change in a driver’s official status occurs (a resident
student officially moves off campus, a commuter student officially
moves onto campus, a student becomes a faculty or staff member),
a replacement decal with
the correct classification will be issued for $1.00 plus
the difference in cost of the decal.
CONFERENCES,
GROUPS, VISITORS
See Visitor’s
Permits above.
Three
offices on campus are authorized to issue temporary parking
permits for conferences and individuals visiting campus: The
Office of Continuing Education and Summer School; The Admissions
Office; and the Madison Conference Center. Admissions and
madison passes are free. The price of conference parking permits
varies with the length of the conference.
STATE-OWNED
VEHICLES
The use
of state-owned vehicles which display permanent "state-owned"
license plates is regulated by University Policy #30 and administered
by Facilities Management. http://www.wcu.edu/chancellor/index/universitypolicy/policy30.html.
Call Facilities Management at 7224 if you have questions.
Anyone
who operates a state-owned vehicle must possess a valid driver’s
license and must have a copy of that license on file with
Facilities Management.
Generally,
state-owned vehicles may park in either white or yellow parking
spaces and may use service-vehicle spaces. Whenever possible,
state-owned vehicles should be parked legally within a space
although some exceptions exist for service and emergency response
vehicles.
Handicapped
Parking
In order
to park legally in a handicapped space on campus, a vehicle
must display an official handicapped placard approved by the
state or a handicapped license plate. Neither the Traffic
Office or Health Services issue handicapped parking permits.
Information on the acquisition of handicapped placards may
be obtained by calling the NC License Bureau at 586-3886 located
at 238 East Main Street in Sylva. Temporary handicapped permits
are also available through that office for person with temporary
disabilities that require handicapped parking.
The number
of designated handicapped spaces on campus meets standards
set by the State of N. C. and federal regulations. But,
persons displaying handicapped placards may also park in any
white or yellow space except for special use spaces (i.e.:
reserved, loading zones, short term, service vehicle, etc.).
Vehicles
displaying handicapped placards must be in a designated parking
space.
We are
very concerned about the display of handicapped placards by
persons who are not legitimately disabled. Frequently, drivers
use permits that belong to relatives and friends or use temporary
permits that are expired. This violates the rights of disabled
persons. When such a violation is discovered, the vehicle
may be impounded, the parking privileges of the violator may
be revoked, and a state citation may be issued for which the
fines range from $50 to $200 plus $90 in court costs.
Disabled
Vehicles
Notify
the Traffic Office immediately if your vehicle is disabled
by calling 7301. Our police officers may be able to assist
with dead batteries.
They may also be able to help you get your vehicle to a legal
parking space so that you do not receive citations. Officers
will also confirm that the vehicle is disabled and may authorize
24 hours to have the car repaired or moved. Citations received
during that time may be waived.
Even if
a vehicle is disabled, it is taking up a space that rightfully
belongs to someone else. The operator of a disabled vehicle
must take prompt action to correct the situation. Call the
Traffic Office at 227-7301 if you have questions.
Enforcement
Traffic
and Parking Regulations are enforced 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, 365 days a year. The regulations allow for some
special parking considerations at nights and on weekends and
for unregistered vehicles at the beginning of a semester,
but there is not a time when the regulations are not enforced.
Appealing
a Parking Ticket
According
to the Traffic Regulations, any contested citation must be
appealed within seven days of issuance.
The SGA
Traffic Court reviews student appeals. Justices for the Traffic
Court are appointed by the SGA President. Check with the SGA
Office in the University Center at 227-7206 for further information.
The Traffic
and Security Committee hears appeals on faculty staff citations.
The T & S Committee is comprised of representatives from
Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Staff Forum, and two student
appointees from the SGA President, and is a standing sub-committee
of the University Advisory Council.
You are
not required to be present at either of these hearings, but
you have a right to be present if you wish.
Decisions
from both of these units are final.
Until
an appeal is heard, the citation that is appealed continues
to be valid and is counted in the total number of citations
when considering whether a vehicle should be on the tow list.
The SGA
or the Traffic and Security Committee will notify the appellant
in writing when a decision is made on an appeal.
Please
remember that the WCU Parking and Traffic Regulations specifically
state that lack of available parking is not a valid excuse
for illegal parking.
Waivable
Offenses
While
the proper route for appeal of a ticket is listed above, there
are some instances where a citation may be waived by Traffic
Office staff. Citations may be waived ONLY under the following
conditions:
- Officer
error;
- First-time
violations for backing-in or improper display of decal;
- In
some cases where more than one citation is issued within
a 24-hour period;
- Citations
issued to visitors for no registration.
If you
believe that a citation you have received fits into one of
these categories, bring the citation by the Traffic Office
and speak with the staff.
Shuttle
Service
The University
Shuttle is sponsored by the University Police and by the University
Center. It runs from the outlying lots to several campus locations
every fifteen minutes.
Bicycle
Registration
Bicycle
registration is strongly suggested, but not required. Bicycle
registration is provided free of charge as a service of the
University Police Department. You may register your bicycle
by bringing the brand name and serial number to the Traffic
Office. If you cannot find the serial number, an officer will
help you.
COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS
Students
May Park in Faculty/Staff Spaces during Exams: Students
must park in the areas prescribed by the parking regulations
and by their decal classification at all times.
Freshmen
May Park at the Residence Halls During the Last Week of the
Semester: Freshmen must park in the freshman lots at all
times except for those listed above (see Freshmen parking)
and at times when notice comes from the Traffic Office that
freshman parking at the residence hall is allowed.
Handicapped
Spaces May be Used for Unloading: This is a violation
of state law. Handicapped space violations are strictly enforced.
Fire
Lanes, No Parking Zones, and Driveways May be Used for Unloading:
Unless the areas are marked with temporary loading zone signs
as they are for the first few days of a semester, these areas
may not be used for unloading.
Turning
on Hazard Lights Allows a Car to Park Illegally for a Short
Time: Hazard lights do not negate illegal parking and
tend to attract enforcement officers.
Parking
fines and vehicle registration fees are used to purchase new
patrol cars.
Patrol
vehicles are provided by the Office of Motor Fleet Management
in Raleigh and are replaced by that office when they reach
110,000 miles. We are required to pay for mileage on the vehicles.
There
are more parking decals sold than there are parking spaces
on campus: This is true, but many of the vehicles registered
on campus are not here all the time. Some students may only
be on campus for an hour a day. Some are not here at all on
some days. Selling decals on a one-per-space basis is a wasteful
use of parking resources. It would mean that many students,
staff, and faculty would not be given the opportunity to purchase
a decal so they could park on campus even when there would
be a number of available spaces.
A system
of selling no more decals than spaces available was tried
in the mid-70s. It was very unpopular. Administrators found
that the people who were denied a permit just parked on campus
without one and received many citations.
There
is not enough parking on campus: There are always parking
spaces available on campus, although they may not be as convenient
as a driver might like. Parking is always available in the
baseball field lot. Parking is usually available in the lots
around the football stadium. We invite anyone to look at those
areas during peak times to confirm that there are spaces available.
If
I don’t register my vehicle, no one will know that I
am a student, faculty, or staff member and I won’t have
to pay for the tickets: A dangerous and costly assumption.
See Unregistered Vehicles and Revocation of Parking
Privileges (Towing).
University
Police issue too many tickets: Since tickets are only
issued to illegally parked vehicles, the number of tickets
issued is based on the number of illegally parked vehicles
on campus.
University
Police are not conscientious about enforcement or are inconsistent
in enforcement: While our goal may be to assure that all
illegally parked vehicles are cited, we have other responsibilities
that prevent us from meeting this objective. We have law enforcement
and investigative responsibilities to carry out. We have preventive
patrol responsibilities. We assist over 1500 motorists per
year who have locked their keys in their cars or have dead
batteries. While we consider parking enforcement an important
responsibility, there are times when our other duties are
more critical.
Only
one citation can be issued within 24 hours: In situations
where spaces are time-limited or designated for short-term
parking, multiple citations may be issued. In addition, multiple
citations may be issued when a vehicle is committing a gross
parking violation or when a vehicle is moved to another illegal
space or moved and returned to the same illegal space.
If
my vehicle is broken down, I will not have to pay for tickets:
An illegally parked vehicle which is disabled for whatever
reason violates the rights of other parkers who are eligible
to use that particular space. For this reason, the operator
of the vehicle must take action promptly to correct problem
and move the vehicle to a legal space. The Traffic Office
staff can assist with citations received during the first
24 hours a vehicle is disabled when appropriate. After 24
hours, the vehicle must be moved or the operator will be responsible
for citations or tow fee. (See Disabled Vehicles above)
Frequently
Asked Questions
Are
there enough parking spaces on campus for everyone? Yes,
vacant parking spaces can be found on campus at all times.
However, these spaces may not always be as convenient as an
individual may like. (See Common Misconceptions above).
If
I want to bring a car to campus, what should I do? (See
Registering Your Vehicle)
Where
is the Traffic Office located? The Traffic Office is a
division of the Office of University Police and Traffic Services
and is located in the Outreach Center Annex.
When
is the Traffic Office open? The Traffic Office is open
from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. on normal working days. While the
office is closed at night and on weekends, police officers
are always on patrol and can be reached by dialing 227-7301
or by calling 911 in case of an emergency.
What
does it cost to purchase a parking permit? (See Registering
Your Vehicle)
Why
do I have to pay to park on campus? Where does the money go?
The State of N. C. provides no funds for parking facilities
on UNC-system campuses; therefore, the operation of the parking
system on every campus must be self-supporting. That means
that the cost of the purchase of land for parking facilities,
the construction and maintenance of parking lots, and the
administration of the parking system must be solely supported
by revenue from vehicle registration fees and parking fines.
All state-supported schools in N. C. charge a fee for parking
on campus. Most private schools also charge a fee.
How
do vehicle registration fees compare to those at other colleges?
Western vehicle registration fees are consistently among
the lowest in the UNC system. Many schools in the system have
fees of $100 or more per year and some have fees that exceed
$300 per year.
What
is "proof of ownership" and why is it required to register
a vehicle? Proof of ownership is a state-issued vehicle
registration card, a title, a bill-of-sale, an official state
inspection receipt, or insurance card that contains identifying
information about the vehicle being registered along with
the owner’s name. Proof of ownership is required to confirm
license plate numbers are correct and to prevent fraud.
Why
is proof of insurance required to register a vehicle? A
state law passed by the N. C. Legislature in 2001 requires
that any vehicle registered on the campus of a state university
be properly insured. Under that law, we are required to assure
such coverage and forbidden to register vehicles that are
not insured.
May
I register more than one vehicle? (See Multiple Vehicles)
What
is a transferable permit? (See Multiple Vehicles)
May
I register a family member’s or a friend’s car?
Yes, if that person is not a student at WCU. Generally,
students may not register another student’s vehicle because
of the possibility of acquiring an unauthorized parking classification.
For example, if a resident upperclassman registers a freshman’s
vehicle, upperclassman privileges would then be extended to
the freshman. This fraudulent act carries a fine of $25 and
revocation of parking privileges for both students.
What
happens if I try to register someone else’s vehicle?
Fraudulent registration carries a fine of $25 and revocation
of parking privileges for both parties for one semester.
What
if I bring a car to campus and the Traffic Office is closed?
Park the car in an area that matches your classification
(freshman, upperclassman resident, commuter, staff, or faculty).
You have 24 hours from the time you bring a car to campus
to display a parking permit. If you get a citation for being
unregistered during this time, it will normally be waived
if you were in the proper area. But, if you park in an area
that does not match your classification or commit other parking
violations, you may be required to pay the fines for those
violations.
If
my vehicle is not registered, how will anyone know that it
is mine and attach parking fines to my account? See Unregistered
Vehicles.
Where
do I display my transferable permit if I have heavily-tinted
windows? Officers are accustomed to looking through tinted
glass for permits, but if you receive a citation for no registration
because of heavily tinted windows, bring the citation by the
Traffic Office. If no other charges are indicated, it will
be waived and the office staff will discuss alternative placement.
What
if I trade cars or wreck my car during the year after registering
my vehicle? How do I get a new permit? See "Trading Cars."
Where
should I park? See "Where To Park."
Why
must freshmen park in the overflow lots and not at their residence
halls? There are not enough parking spaces at the residence
halls for all resident students to park near their hall. Neither
is there land available near the residence halls to construct
enough additional parking to allow freshmen to park nearby.
Western Carolina allows freshmen to bring cars to campus with
the understanding that freshmen must park in the overflow
lots. Many institutions do not allow freshmen to have cars
at all.
When
can a resident student get an upperclassman parking permit?
When a resident student earns 30 hours of academic credit,
that student will be eligible for a resident upperclassman
permit (R-decal) and may park in those designated areas at
the residence halls.
I can’t
find a space anywhere! Where can I park? Spaces are always
available in one of the following locations: The Outreach Center,
and the overflow lots at the Stadium, the Ramsey Center, and
the Baseball Field.
How
much are parking fines? Parking fines range from $5 to
$30. A complete list of fines for specific violations is included
in the Parking and Traffic Regulations located at http://police.wcu.edu
In addition, some violations may cause a person’s parking
privilege to be revoked.
Where
do I pay fines? Fines are placed on the student or employee
account in the University Cashier’s Office.
What
happens if I do not pay a fine? Parking fines are considered
a debt owed to the State of North Carolina. The "Debt Set-Off"
Act requires the University to make attempts to collect those
fines and orders that employees who fail to pay fines must
be terminated. In addition, employees may not purchase a new
parking decal until fines are paid.
Students
who do not pay fines will not be able to register for the
upcoming semester, receive copies of their transcripts or
graduate. Unpaid fines are reported to the N. C. Attorney
General’s Office for collection and may be garnished
from state tax refunds.
Visitors
who fail to pay fines may also be subject to garnishment.
I believe
that I was unjustly issued a parking ticket, what should I
do? See Waivable Offenses and Appealing a Parking Ticket.
What
does it mean to have your parking privileges revoked? See
"Revocation of Parking Privileges (Towing).
What
happens if my vehicle breaks down in an area where I am not
authorized to park? See Disabled Vehicles.
May
I park illegally for just a few minutes to run into a building?
No. If everyone were allowed to park illegally for just
a few minutes, the parking situation would be chaotic.
What
if I leave my hazard lights or emergency flashers on?
Activation of emergency flashers does not excuse illegal parking.
What
if I have heavy articles, suitcases, or groceries to unload?
Loading zones are set aside at nearly all buildings. Please
use them. Please be considerate of other students by loading
and unloading quickly and moving to a legal space. If "packing"
is necessary before loading, pack first and then move your
car into a loading zone.
Am
I required to register my bicycle? What does it cost? See
Bicycle Registration.
How
many parking tickets are issued per year? Approximately
25,000 parking citations are issued every year. This equals
less than 5 citations per officer per day. Our goal is always
to increase compliance and reduce the number of citations
that we must issue.
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