Campus Parking Procedure

Effective 4/1/11

Parking Regulations, Speed Limit, and Traffic Penalties
As outlined on the College campus map, parking has been designated in various lots for students, visitors, faculty/staff, and handicapped individuals. Any person enrolled in classes is considered a student and may not use “visitor” spaces. Campus maps are available in the Admissions Office, Campus Safety Office, Information Center, and the Industrial and Business Development Center. The College does not guarantee parking spaces; however, adequate parking areas have been reserved for students. Vehicles are to be parked in a legal space with the traffic flow in parallel-parking areas in one parking space. Students, faculty, and staff are to follow general parking rules, which include not parking on sidewalks, yellow curbs, lawn or grassed areas, in reserved spaces, crosswalks, driveways or intersections, or in any other “No Parking” zones. All vehicles must be legally parked in a space.

 

Parking Decals
Parking decals are mandatory. To obtain a parking decal, pay the $30 parking fee either online or in the business office and take a paid receipt to the Campus Safety Office (Room 138 of Pickens Hall) along with a valid driver’s license (or TCTC ID), a copy of the vehicle registration, and a printed copy of your class schedule. The parking decal is to be displayed according to the directions provided by the Campus Safety Office. Parking decals expire at the end of the Summer term. Students with physical disabilities (permanent or temporary) that restrict physical activity may apply for special parking privileges. All others must submit a special form completed and signed by a licensed health care provider in order to obtain special parking privileges. Students with State-issued handicapped licenses will be automatically approved. If vehicle information changes, these changes must be updated with Campus Safety.

Speed Limit and Traffic Penalties
Traffic on the road from the corner of Miller Hall to the entrance of Student Parking Area “E” (Front Drive) is one way, and the speed limit is 15 mph. The speed limit in all parking lots is 15 mph. The speed limit on Perimeter Road is 20 mph. Violations of traffic and/or parking violations are subject to a warning, fine, booting, or towing of the vehicle. Parking fines are $25, $50. $100 fines are assessed for illegal handicap parking and Tobacco use on campus. Towing cost is at the owner’s expense. Towing is the penalty for repeat offenders, for blocking traffic or another vehicle, or for parking in unauthorized parking spaces. All appeals of parking penalties must be made to the Director of Campus Safety within seven (7) days of the date of citation. Appeal forms are available at 138 Pickens Hall. .

 Responsibility for Parking/Traffic Violations
The operator and/or owner or person in whose name a motor vehicle is registered shall be responsible for all tickets incurred by the vehicle. All drivers to the campuses of Tri-County Technical College are responsible for all violations created by the driver even if it is in different vehicles. If the parking violator is known to be a student, then the student shall be responsible. If you are driving a temporary vehicle, you may come by the Campus Safety Office at each campus and pick up a temporary parking permit if you have already purchased a permit for the vehicle normally driven to school. All SC Code of Laws are enforced on every TCTC Campus.

Notice of Violations
Campus Safety may issue parking tickets or warning notices for violations of parking regulations. Lawful issuance of a parking ticket is a notice of violation of the parking regulations and notice of the right to appeal the ticket to the Director of Campus Safety within seven (7) calendar days after the date of violation. Any person cited for a violation of the parking regulations may waive the right to appeal by paying the assessed penalty. All unpaid parking tickets for which the appeals process has not been initiated after seven (7) days are considered past due.

 

Schedule of Violations
Failure to display a current decal, placard, or hang tag;
Obstructing traffic;
Obstructing sidewalk or crosswalk;
Not parking in legal space;
Parking in loading zone;
Parking on lawn area or yellow curb;
Parking in unauthorized space/area;
Obstructing a disability access ramp or space;
Unlawful parking in a space reserved for disability access ($100 fine);
Parking in fire lane. .

Payment of Penalties
Penalties for parking violations are payable in person at the Business Office located in the Ruby Hicks Library Administration Building. .

 

Delinquent Violations
Persons who fail to pay the assessed penalty and fail to turn in the Ticket Appeal Form within seven (7) calendar days after the date of the parking violation have waived any right to appeal the ticket. Persons with three (3) or more past due parking tickets (tickets which have not been paid and for which the appellate process has not been initiated within seven (7) calendar days of the date of violation) are subject to having the vehicle towed if parked on campus. The Director of Campus Safety will analyze ticket data weekly to identify vehicles that have accrued three (3) or more unpaid tickets. . 

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Motor Vehicle Towing *IMPORTANT*
Tri-County Technical College may have a motor vehicle towed at the owner's expense and risk under the following conditions:
If the motor vehicle is illegally parked;
If the motor vehicle is presumed to be abandoned;
If the motor vehicle is not properly registered to include proper license plates and current decal or permit;
If the motor vehicle is parked in such a manner as to constitute a serious hazard to vehicular or pedestrian traffic, obstructing movement or operation of emergency equipment, obstructing the collections of trash at established locations, or parked in a marked fire lane;

 

If three (3) or more parking tickets issued against an operator, owner, or vehicle are past due and the vehicle is parked in violation of the College’s parking regulations again; If a vehicle is parked in a reserved space/area without an appropriate decal or permit. Motor vehicles that have been towed for any of the above reasons will not be allowed back on campus property until all past due parking violations have been paid to the Business Office.

 

Towing Authorization
Any officer requesting to have a vehicle towed must receive authorization from the Director of Campus Safety. If the reason for towing is accrual of past due tickets, then the Director of Campus Safety must confirm that the tickets have not been paid and that the appeals process has not been initiated. Tickets written within the past seven (7) days are not to be counted in the past due total.

 

Towing Services
Towing of vehicles from campus will be done by a qualified towing service that meets the insurance liability criteria and facilities requirements set forth by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. Towing service providers will be selected from shops closest to the campus that are already a service provider for the State. Tow service providers will be reviewed by the Director of Campus Safety before an agreement is made for towing services. Under no circumstances will the college or any member of the College be liable for damages or fees incurred from towing a vehicle from the campus. Towed vehicles will not be released until the towing service and Tri-County Technical College have been paid or upon approval of the Director of Campus Safety.

 

Statutory Authority
Section 56-21-10 South Carolina Code of Laws 1976 as amended: “Governing boards of State institutions may employ security personnel and make traffic regulations. The governing boards of all State institutions which provide for the operation and parking of vehicles upon the grounds, streets, drives and alleys or any other institutional property under its control are hereby authorized to employ security personnel and to promulgate such traffic regulations as may be deemed necessary. Such regulations may include the following:

(1) Fixing the rate of speed;

(2) Assigning parking spaces and designating parking areas and assessing charges;

(3) Prohibiting parking in certain areas;

(4) Removing vehicles parked in violation of regulations at the expense of the violator;

(5) Instituting a system of registration for vehicle identification;

(6) Issuing parking and traffic tickets.”