Yue Qian photo
Yao Wu, a journalism major from Taizhou, China, who was a sophomore in the spring, in a campus parking lot.
Yue Qian
Yaqi Jia, a finance major from Suzhou, China, who was a sophomore in the spring, got a parking ticket on campus. She was surprised and didn’t know the reason.
She learned that she had been fined for parking in the wrong area.
“I wasn’t happy when I first received the ticket,” Jia said. “I don’t think I deserve to be punished. I don’t know the school parking rules. I don’t even know I need to register. So I think it’s necessary to understand the rules about parking lots.”
She paid her fine and decided to understand the parking rules so as not to make mistakes again.
“If people don’t park by the rules, they will be fined,” said Cynthia Mote, dispatcher and records clerk for the Troy University police.
Fines start at $10
She said there are three levels of fines.
A $10 fine will be issued for parking in a “no parking” area; backing into a space or pulling forward through a space; not having a permit on vehicle; failing to remove the old permit; transferring a permit to a new vehicle; parking on or over a line; double parking; parking in a visitor space; parking in the wrong zone; overtime parking; parking in a reserved space; mounting the permit improperly; blocking or parking behind another vehicle; parking on a yellow curb; or parking in the wrong direction.
A $50 fine will be issued for the altering or misuse of a parking decal; or parking or riding on the grass.
A $75 fine will be issued for misusing handicapped parking or blocking a handicapped ramp (a vehicle must be identified with appropriate handicap credentials belonging to its operator, and the campus police must be given a copy of the credentials); littering; parking in a fire lane, in a service area or at a loading dock; blocking a dumpster; violating the local noise ordinance; or parking in a tow-away zone.
Any vehicle parked where it hinders the flow of traffic or impedes emergency vehicles could be towed away.
Parking zones are designated by colors for different types of drivers, such as on-campus residents; commuters; and faculty and staff.
“The responsibility for finding an authorized space rests with the operator of each vehicle,” Mote said. “The lack of space in a certain area or inclement weather will not alter any of the provisions of the parking regulations.
“Timed spaces are provided around campus with a time limit stated on the curb or posted sign. These spaces may be used to transact university business only.”
Mote said there are 4,474 parking spaces for students, 569 for faculty or staff, 126 for handicapped and 5,250 for miscellaneous purposes.
All vehicles operated by faculty, staff and students must be registered with the university.
For a student, registering a vehicle is part of the academic registration process at the beginning of each fall semester. Current state vehicle registration (a tag receipt) is required. After fall semester registration, you must register the vehicle the day you arrive on campus.
No one is exempt from getting a parking permit. Registering another person’s vehicle is prohibited. Students enrolling in evening and weekend classes and internships must register their vehicles.
Visitors are required to obtain visitor permits from the University Police Department. Temporary permits are available for certain purposes.
Discount with special license plate
Vehicle registration fees are nonrefundable. A student pays $100 per academic year — or $25 if the student’s vehicle has a special Troy University license plate purchased (at an extra fee) from an Alabama county.
Faculty or staff pay $150 for named spaces or $100 for zoned spaces; $15 for second, subsequent and replacement decals; $25 for summer session only; $10 with a Troy plate for summer session only; $25 for motorcycles; $5 weekly for temporary permits; $15 for replacement permits; $5 for temporary permits per week; and nothing for visitor permits.
“The management of parking lots in schools is very strict,” Mote said. “If someone gets a ticket, but they are not satisfied with it, they can also appeal.” The appeal must be filed within 72 hours with the Traffic Appeals Committee, whose members are students.
Mote said on the days of athletic events, certain parking areas will be closed, and all areas closed must be vacated by a specified time to avoid being towed.
