Parking Regulations

Responsible Executive: VP for Administration and Finance
Responsible Office: Campus Police
Coding: 01-30-70
Adopted: 01/01/2000
Amended: 03/28/2017
Last Reviewed: 03/28/2017

PURPOSE

William Paterson University strives to ensure that parking spaces are available when and where they are needed for students, faculty and staff.  The University has multiple surface lots across campus as well as a centrally-located parking garage.  To ensure safety, efficiency and appropriate use of our parking facilities, regulations and procedural guidelines are presented in this policy.  The goal of this policy is to provide clarity about parking resources available to all students, faculty, staff and visitors, and to clearly state the regulations that will ensure this important service is delivered effectively and safely to the entire University community.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The University Police Department maintains the policy and, jointly with other campus departments, the operational procedures needed to uphold the policy.

The University Police Department is staffed by police, security officers, guards, student patrol and other support personnel.  In addition to its primary function of ensuring safety across campus, the Department provides many services that enhance day-to-day quality of campus life, and interacts regularly with students, faculty and staff.  It is the Department’s responsibility to maintain and enforce parking regulations at all times.

This policy and procedures document may be updated from time to time, and can be found in its most recent version at https://www.wpunj.edu/police/parking/.  Questions about parking regulations can be addressed to the University Police Department, and procedural questions can be addressed to the Hospitality Services or other relevant campus departments.

POLICY

PARKING AT THE UNIVERSITY

The Campus map linked at: https://www.wpunj.edu/directories/maps-and-contacts/index.html provides the exact locations for parking on campus.

• Main Campus Surface Parking Lots 
  Surface Lots are Numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8.
  Designated spaces are available for students, faculty and staff with limited spaces for visitors.

• 1600 Valley Road Parking
  Designated spaces are available for students, faculty and staff with limited spaces for visitors.

• Heritage and Pioneer Residence Hall Lots
  Spaces are reserved for students living in those two residence halls.

• Power Arts/Alumni House
  Designated spaces are available for students, faculty and staff with limited spaces for visitors. 

• Pioneer Garage Parking – located by Lot 2
  Spaces are available to students, faculty, staff and visitors.  Only passenger vehicles under 8.2Ft in height are permitted to park in the garage.  Motorcycles are not permitted to park in the garage.  This is the only location on campus where payment is required if one elects to park a vehicle.  Payment and rate information is available at the following link:  www.wpunj.edu/studentaccounts/tuition-and-fees

• Veritans Camp Parking Lot
  Please note that as of September 1, 2014 the University is no longer leasing the Veritans parking lot and, therefore, students, faculty, staff, or students are not authorized to park on that private property.

• Visitor Parking
  Visitor parking is available in Lot 4, Lot 5 (rows A and B) and in front of Gaede Hall.  Visitor parking is also available at Entry 2 for the offices of Financial Aid, Admissions, Enrollment Management and Registrar, Institutional Advancement and the Office of the President.

OBTAINING A PARKING DECAL (Permit)

1. Students, faculty, and staff must obtain a parking decal for all vehicles brought on campus.  Parking decals can be obtained online at webapps.wpunj.edu/misc/campus police/.
2. All vehicles parked on the University’s campus must be properly registered with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission or an equivalent out-of-state agency, must be properly inspected in accordance with New Jersey Motor Vehicle Statutes if the vehicle bears New Jersey license plates, must be properly insured, and must bear license plates.
3. Parking spaces for vehicles bearing University parking decals are available on a first come first served basis.  A University parking decal does not guarantee a parking space.
4. Parking spaces in the Pioneer Garage are available on a first come first served basis. Purchasing a garage parking permit does not guarantee a parking space.

USING THE PARKING FACILITIES

1. Surface lot parking is available at no charge to any student, faculty or staff member.  On the main campus (Lots 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6), designated resident and commuter student parking areas are identified by white lines.  Faculty/staff designated parking areas are identified by yellow lines, including Lot 8, at Hobart Hall.
2. During evening classes after 7:00 p.m., students may park in the faculty/staff parking areas of Lot 3.
3. Handicapped parking is available in all lots except Lots 1 and 2. Vehicles must have handicapped license plates or official hang tags displayed to utilize those spaces.
4. Parking Garage: the Pioneer Parking Garage is available to any student, faculty, or staff member paying a garage parking fee rate plan or an hourly rate. Garage parking is available 24 hours a day, every day.  Overnight parking is available to resident students who pay a residential rate plan.  Parking fees at the garage are dependent upon the status of the person parking and upon the amount of time the person parks in the garage.  The four rate plans are as follows:
   • Hourly
   • Commuter Student
   • Resident Student
   • Faculty and Staff
   
   Please click on the following link to specific parking garage rate information:   www.wpunj.edu/police/parking/garage/rates.html. 
   
   For Students – sign up online at the Pioneer Parking Garage Student Sign-up form. Once the form is submitted, the fee will be billed to your student account and you will pay the amount shown on your bill through normal bill payment processing. Resident students must obtain a hang tag from Campus Police, available the next business day after signing up online. Any car left in the garage overnight (i.e. resident student cars) must display the hangtag which indicates to Campus Police that the car is authorized to be in the garage overnight.
   
   For Faculty & Staff – sign up online for a parking plan by completing a payroll deduction form. Payroll deductions will begin the next available payroll, with the cost being deducted in even installments over the plan period. University employees who sign up for the plan via payroll deduction will benefit by paying with pre-tax dollars, thereby reducing income taxes withheld from pay.  
   
   Alternatively, employees can sign up and pay for a plan directly in person at Hospitality Services by paying for the plan with cash, credit card, or debit/credit card.  
   
   The tax benefit (paying with pretax dollars) is not available when making a direct payment. You must pay via payroll deduction to get the tax benefit.
5. Overnight Parking (parking between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.):
   • Overnight parking requires a resident permit or an overnight parking pass for visitors who should park in Lot 6.
   • Overnight parking shall be defined as parking on campus between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.  Any vehicle parked on campus between those hours is considered as being parked overnight.
   • Overnight parking in the assigned overnight parking lots requires the prominent display of either a resident decal or a temporary decal issued by the Department of Public Safety.
   • Overnight parking is restricted to Lot 1, Row C and D of Lot 2, Lot 6, and the parking lots in front of Pioneer Hall and Heritage Hall for students and visitors displaying the appropriate decal on their vehicle.   
   • Resident students can park overnight in the parking garage by selecting and paying for one of the payment options.
   • Overnight visitors should park in Lot 6 unless they elect to utilize the parking garage and pay the 24 hour rate.
   • Overnight parking in the top row of Lot 5 is for authorized personnel only.  All other students shall not park in any row of Lot 5 during the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.   
   • Any vehicle parked on-campus between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. not utilizing a designated overnight parking lot or does not have the requisite decal will be ticketed and/or towed at the owners expense.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

All vehicles must be parked entirely within marked parking spaces in the University’s parking lots or the Pioneer Garage.  If an area lacks marked parking spaces, no parking is permitted there.

1. Parking is not permitted in areas where curbs are painted yellow or where signs prohibiting parking are posted.
2. All traffic signs on campus must be obeyed.
3. The lack of available parking spaces does not constitute an excuse for illegal or improper parking.
4. The presence of other illegally or improperly parked vehicles, which appear to have not been issued a ticket, does not constitute an excuse for illegal or improper parking.
5. Any vehicle parked on the University campus in violation of the parking regulations is subject to towing and ticketing by the University at the vehicle owner’s expense.
6. The University reserves the right to temporarily close roads on campus and restrict access to parking areas for repair or safety considerations.  Vehicles found in restricted areas will be towed at the owner’s expense.
7. The University also reserves the right to limit access to parking areas for purposes of snow removal.  Vehicles impeding snow removal will be towed.  Resident students should insure that they are aware of parking limitations imposed due to inclement weather.
8. Students may park only in areas designated as student parking areas.  Students parking in areas not designated as student parking will be subject to violation and/or towing.
9. Vehicles without license plates will be towed.
10. Persons found damaging traffic signs or devices restricting traffic on campus will be subject to the campus judicial process or arrest and prosecution.
11. Disabled vehicles must be reported to the University Police [(973) 720-2301] as soon as the vehicle is known to be disabled.  Such vehicles should be parked in a position which does not obstruct traffic flow or endanger safety.  Placing a note on the vehicle does not act as sufficient notice to the police.  The owner/student must either contact the police by telephone/blue phone to report the problem or go directly to Police Headquarters.
12. A disabled vehicle may remain on campus for a period of 24 hours after it has become disabled.  If more time is needed for removal, the owner/student must renew permission for the vehicle to remain on campus once every 24 hours.
13. Storage of vehicles on campus is prohibited.  However, during extended recesses vehicles may remain on campus with permission from University Police. 
14. Notes left on illegally parked or improperly parked vehicles will not be honored by the University.  In such circumstances, the vehicle will receive a violation and/or will be towed at the owner’s expense.
15. Visitor’s spaces are to be used by visitors only. Students, University staff and faculty are prohibited from parking in those spaces.
16. Unpaid parking violations fees will result in the placement of holds on transcripts and diplomas. 
17. The registered owner of a vehicle is responsible for payment of all fees associated with University parking violations issued to the vehicle by the University.  In addition, a WPU student using a vehicle which receives a violation from the University is responsible for payment of the fees associated with University parking violations issued to the vehicle by the University.

For Information regarding this Policy, please call (973) 720-2780.