05:01:04:00 Traffic and Parking Policy | Dyersburg State Community College

Purpose:

Consistent with TBR policy 7.05.00.00 Traffic and Parking, Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) will facilitate and regulate the safety and orderly operation of motor vehicles on DSCC property or DSCC-controlled property and to provide parking facilities for their operation within the limits of available space.

Scope:

Any person operating a motor vehicle on DSCC property or property controlled by DSCC is required to obey this policy as a condition of parking or operating a motor vehicle on institution property or institution-controlled property.

Policy:

Administration of Policy
1. The DSCC Chief of Police or the Police designee is responsible for implementation and enforcement of this policy.
2. The issuance of a parking permit does not guarantee a parking space. The inability to locate a designated parking space does not diminish the responsibility to park in accordance with this policy.
3. The absence of “no parking” signs or painted curbs/lines does not imply that parking is allowed. Parking in designated lots is restricted to designated spaces only. Motor vehicles parked outside of designated spaces are subject to citation and towing, and the owner/operator may be subject to disciplinary or administrative action.
4. DSCC shall have no responsibility for theft or damage to any motor vehicle or its contents operated or parked on DSCC property or DSCC controlled property.
5. This policy is enforceable seven (7) days a week, twenty-four (24) hours a day, including holidays and breaks.
Registration and Parking Permits
1. DSCC requires students, employees, and visitors to register motor vehicles and/or obtain parking permits in order to park on DSCC property or DSCC controlled property.
2. DSCC may assess a reasonable cost/fee in association with the motor vehicle registration or permit process. Any fees or costs associated with registration of motor vehicles, together with appropriate information sufficient to justify the fee/cost amount, shall be submitted for review and approval by the President, the Cabinet and the Administrative Council.
3. Parking permits are available for pickup and purchase by students, visitors, and employees at the following locations:
  1. Faculty and staff should purchase a parking permit at the beginning of the academic year in August. Permits may be purchased in the One Stop for faculty/staff. New employees will pay the full fee before January 1. After January 1, employees will pay one-half of the annual fees.
  2. A campus access fee is paid by students when they pay their fees at the beginning of the semester. Students obtain parking permits at the One Stop located at each of the DSCC campuses.
  3. Visitors may obtain temporary parking passes at no cost at the One Stop located at each of the DSCC campuses.
  4. Registration information for each vehicle is to include the name, address, telephone number, and student or employee ID number (D#) of the registrant of the vehicle and the year, color, make and license number of the vehicle.
  5. Anyone intending to operate more than one vehicle on DSCC property should register each vehicle.
4. Lost or stolen parking permits must be reported to the One Stop.
5. Only motor vehicles properly displaying a parking permit, visitor pass, or those motor vehicles legally parked where no permit is required may be parked on DSCC property or DSCC controlled property.
  1. The parking permit should be placed in a clearly visible location in/on the registered vehicle with the permit number visible and unobstructed.
  2. Parking permits should be visible at all times.
6. Parking permits may not be transferred from one person to another.
  1. Anyone trading or selling a motor vehicle with a DSCC parking permit must remove the permit and notify the One Stop of the transfer. All violations against the old or previously issued parking permit will be charged to the individual to whom it was originally issued.
  2. Change in license plates by students must be reported to the One Stop within five (5) working days of the change. Employees should report the changes to the One Stop.
Parking Zones
1. Designated parking:
  1. No parking areas: loading areas, on sidewalks, on college lawns, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or within any area marked “No Parking”. Any vehicle parked in any of these areas may be towed at the owner’s expense.
  2. Restricted Parking as follows:
    1. In areas designated faculty/staff parking (yellow lines), parking is limited to faculty/staff vehicles with faculty/staff parking permits.
    2. In areas designated student parking (white lines), parking is limited to student vehicles displaying DSCC parking permits.
    3. In areas designated visitor parking, parking is limited to vehicles belonging to visitors.
    4. Vehicles improperly parked in restricted areas will be issued citations and may be towed at the owner’s expense.
    5. Faculty/staff are required to park in faculty/staff parking spots only. Students of faculty/staff must have a student parking permit and are not allowed to park in faculty/staff parking spots.
2. Persons utilizing disabled parking spaces, designated by blue lines, must have a state-issued disability license plate or disability placard, or display a handicap accessible parking permit issued by the DSCC ADA Coordinator. All students, faculty, and staff who have a state-issued placard or license plate should be registered with the Office of the DSCC ADA Coordinator to ensure access to the appropriate disabled parking spaces on DSCC property or DSCC controlled property.
3. Motorcycles, motor bikes, and motor scooters are only permitted to park regularly marked parking spaces. Operating these motor vehicles on any surface other than designated streets or parking areas is prohibited.
Motor Vehicle Operation.
1. Operators of motor vehicles on DSCC property or DSCC controlled property must obey all traffic rules, regulations, postings, and directions of law enforcement, regardless of whether the rule, regulation, posting, or direction is included in these rules, and all applicable traffic rules, regulations, postings, or directions.
2. Violations of posted speed limits, the reckless operation of a motor vehicle on DSCC property or DSCC controlled property, including but not limited to, squealing tires or sliding the motor vehicle is prohibited.
  1. Vehicles must yield right-of-way to all emergency vehicles by pulling over and coming to a complete stop.
  2. Speed limit is 15 m.p.h. on the streets and driveways/roadways at all DSCC Campus locations; the speed limit in parking lots is 10 m.p.h.
  3. Passing on DSCC campus or DSCC center streets is prohibited.
3. All persons operating motor vehicles are responsible for maintaining proper control of the motor vehicle, safe operation, and observance of traffic control signs, barriers, and devices.
4. Operating a motor vehicle in any area other than a street or a roadway intended for motor vehicles is prohibited.
5. Pedestrians have the right of way at established pedestrian crossings, except where regulated by traffic control lights or police officers.
6. Individuals riding bicycles must comply with all applicable traffic rules, regulations, postings, or directions.
Violations.
1. The following are non-exclusive examples of violations of these rules.
  1. Registration
    a. Unauthorized possession of a parking permit;
    b. Falsification of registration information; and
    c. Illegal use, unauthorized use, reproduction or alteration of a parking permit or temporary parking permit.
  2. Parking
    a. In a no parking zone;
    b. No permit or visitor pass where required;
    c. Improper display of permit or visitor pass;
    d. Parked outside of lines or appropriately marked parking space;
    e. In such a manner as to block or obstruct traffic, street, sidewalk, driveway, fire hydrant, building entrance or exit, or another motor vehicle;
    f. In a fire lane;
    g. Overtime in a metered space;
    h. Illegal entry/exit in an access-controlled or gated parking facility, which includes, but is not limited to, tailgating another motor vehicle;
    i. Non-operative vehicle parked on institution property or institution-controlled property for longer than seven (7) days without permission from the institution;
    j. Breaking the gate in an access-controlled gated area; and
    k. Disability parking violation, as defined by State law (including, but not limited to, unauthorized use of a disabled parking space, ramp, plate, or placard; parking a motor vehicle so that a portion of the motor vehicle encroaches into a disabled space in a manner that restricts, or reasonably could restrict, a person confined to a wheelchair from exiting or entering a motor vehicle properly parked within a disabled parking space). Fines for violating the disables parking laws cannot be suspended or waived where prohibited by T.C.A. § 55-21-108.
  3. DSCC security officers may issue citations for violations of this policy and pay the citation fine.
2. Fines
  1. For parking and registration citations, other than violations resulting from improper use of handicap accessible parking, ten dollars ($10.00) for the first violation and twenty dollars ($20) for each subsequent citation that semester.
  2. For illegally parking in handicap accessible zone: two hundred dollars ($200.00) for each citation.
  3. For a moving vehicle violation: ten dollars ($10.00) for each citation issued and twenty dollars ($20.00) for subsequent citations.
  4. Fines should be paid at the One Stop at one the DSCC campus locations.
Enforcement
1. DSCC, without advance notice, may tow, boot, or remove to a place of storage at the owner’s expense any motor vehicle that is parked in a fire lane, designated disabled parking space, spaces reserved for designated motor vehicles, or motor vehicles parked in such a manner as to impede the flow of traffic or disrupt the orderly affairs of the institution.
2. DSCC may tow, boot, or remove to a place of storage at the owner’s expense any motor vehicle that has unpaid parking citations as long as advance notice and an opportunity to contest has been given. Windshield notices and/or other methods of notification will be used to provide the operator of the motor vehicle with advance notice of the intent to tow and the operator’s right to a contest.
3. DSCC may revoke parking privileges for repeated and/or deliberate parking or moving violations.
4. Any student who receives $100.00 or more in traffic and/or parking violations on DSCC property or DSCC controlled property during any semester may be subject to disciplinary action.
5. Parking permits are issued to persons, not motor vehicles, and are required to be affixed to a motor vehicle. Permit holders are responsible for citations incurred with their permit. Persons will also be held liable for a violation incurred by a motor vehicle without a permit when that motor vehicle is reasonably shown to be associated with the person.
6. Any student, employee, or visitor who has received an institution-issued citation may appeal the citation within fifteen (15) business days of the date of issuance. Citations issued by the institution and not appealed must be paid within fifteen (15) business days of the issuance date of the citation.
Appeals
1. The appeal of any citation (student, employee, or visitor) may be made to the Traffic Citations Appeal Committee provided a written request to appeal is filed with the Business Office within fifteen (15) business days after the ticket is issued.
2. If the notice of appeal is not filed within fifteen (15) business days, the right of the appeal is lost and the fine will be due immediately.
  1. The Traffic Citations Appeal Committee shall have four (4) voting members consisting of one (1) representative each from faculty, staff, and student body, the Assistant Dean of Student Services (chairperson) and one (1) ex-officio member, the President of the College.
  2. The committee will meet monthly as needed but no less frequently than once at the end of every semester.
  3. The committee will review the written request to appeal and any documentation provided by the person who has filed the appeal.
  4. The committee will vote to uphold the citation or grant an appeal.
  5. A majority of the committee members present must be in agreement to reach a decision.
  6. The person who filed the appeal will receive the decision of the Traffic Citations Appeal Committee by email at their DSCC email address.
  7. The committee decision will be final, with no further appeal available.

Related: TBR Traffic and Parking policy 7.04.00.00

Compliance:

Any person operating a motor vehicle on DSCC property or property controlled by DSCC is required to obey this policy.

Definitions:

As used in this policy:
• “Motor vehicle” means any self-propelled vehicle that is capable of exceeding twenty- five (25) miles per hour.
• “Employee” means all faculty, executive, administrative, professional and support staff employed in the service of and whose compensation is paid by a TBR institution. “Employee” does not include independent contractors who provide goods or services to the institution or student workers as defined in TBR Policy 5.01.01.00.

Revision History:

Policy written September 2011; approved by Administrative Council 09/30/2011. Updated by Administrative Council 02/22/19. Approved by the Administrative Council July 30, 2021, effective August 16, 2021. Approved by the Administrative Council March 30, 2023, effective August 16, 2023