Parking Regulations

PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT MOTOR VEHICLE RULES AND REGULATIONS 2007 - 2008 (PDF)

The Public Safety Department is located in the Main Academic Building (across from the “Ramapo Arch”) on the Ground floor, Room C-102 and is open 24 hours, 365 days a year.

The Public Safety Customer Service Center, located next door in Room C-101, is open during regular business hours for assistance with photo IDs and parking permit problems.

Telephone:
Non-emergency (201) 684 - 7432 (Campus ext. 7432)
Emergency (201) 684 - 6666 (Campus ext. 6666)

Email:
Parking Permits Questions/Problems parking@ramapo.edu
Faculty/Staff only: Campus Events/Visitors  - reserved parking requests form on Public Safety webpage.

[ return to top ]

PARKING PERMITS for STUDENTS

WHAT’S NEW?

• OVERLOOK RESIDENTS may now use the Parking Garage for “overflow” parking. You will need to have your ID card coded in Public Safety’s Customer Service (Rm. C101) to gain gate access to that area. [For pedestrian safety, you must use the footpath along the roadway between the Garage and Overlook – walking on the roadway is prohibited.]
• NEW SOUTH ENTRANCE is scheduled to open during the Fall 2007 semester. [The existing south entrance on Hornbeam Road will be closed and no longer provide access to or from Ramapo Valley Road (Rt.202).] The intersection of Hornbeam and Rhodora Roads will have four-way STOP signs posted.
• COMMUTERS may obtain a second vehicle permit, at an additional fee of $65.

THE BASICS

• STUDENTS: The first day to apply for a FALL 07 – SPRING 08 permit is AUGUST 15, 2007.
• Parking fees are automatically billed to the student’s account with tuition and other fees. Go to www.thepermitstore.com to register a vehicle for a permit. It is sent to the US mail address you specify. 
•  FOR COMPLIANCE:
  1. APPLY FOR YOUR PERMIT ONLINE,
  2. RECEIVE IT,
  3. AFFIX IT TO YOUR VEHICLE PROPERLY, and
  4. ACTIVATE IT.
• Print a temporary permit at the end of the online registration. Place this in the rear left-side window of vehicle for display until the permit is received in the mail.
• Allow 10 – 14 business days for mail delivery of the permit.
• Upon receiving the permit:
  1. return to your online account at www.thepermitstore.com to activate your permit.
  2. affix the permit to the lower right corner of the rear left-side (passenger) window* of your vehicle.
  3. *NOTE: Darkly-tinted windows are illegal, according to NJ State Law: Title 39. If your vehicle has no rear passenger window, place the permit in the lower right corner of the driver’s window.

POINTS FOR EMPHASIS

• Payment of the parking fee along with your tuition and other fees does not constitute parking permit compliance. Register for your permit at www.thepermitstore.com and follow the procedure to obtain it.
• If after 10 – 14 business days you have not received the permit in the mail, contact parking@ramapo.edu  for assistance.
• If you have trouble printing the temporary permit at the completion of the online registration process, contact the Permit Store or email parking@ramapo.edu for assistance.
• Resident students: If you haven’t registered online for your permit by the beginning of the Fall semester, you may prefer to use your campus mailing address. Be sure to include your assigned Ramapo College mailbox number in the mailing address you provide online.
• Commuter students:  you may register two vehicles by applying for a separate permit for each, with an additional fee for the second vehicle of $65. Only one vehicle may be parked on campus at any one time.
• Changing vehicles TEMPORARILY: YOU MUST OBTAIN A TEMPORARY PERMIT FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE PUBLIC SAFETY BOOTH or you will be subject to summons.
• Changing vehicles PERMANENTLY: Remove permit from old car, place on the new vehicle, go online to your Permit Store account and select MODIFY to change vehicle information.
• ACTIVATE YOUR PERMIT!!!: if after you receive your permit, you fail to activate your permit, it is the same as not having one at all and you are subject to receiving  summonses for NO PERMIT DISPLAYED.
• All parking permits are the property of Ramapo College and are issued based on the applicant's registration or employment status with the College.
• Lost or stolen permits should be reported immediately to the Public Safety Department, located in Room C-102. Email parking@ramapo.edu for assistance in obtaining a replacement. 
• Non-compliance with the College’s Motor Vehicle Rules and Regulations and the laws of the State of New Jersey may result in a citation from Ramapo College and/or the Mahwah Police Department, forfeiture of parking privileges, immobilization and/or towing and impoundment of the vehicle.
• All vehicles must have a permanent or temporary valid permit or other form of official authorization to park on campus.
• Guests of resident students must obtain a temporary visitor permit from the Main Entrance Public Safety Booth to legally park on campus.

STUDENT PARKING FEES ACADEMIC YEAR 2007 – 2008

*Students not requiring a parking permit may apply for a parking fee waiver through the Bursar’s Office. Please refer to the Bursar’s webpages for deadlines on filing a parking waiver. Fall-only students and December 2007 graduating seniors may apply for a refund of half the total academic year parking fee through the Bursar’s Office after the last day of Spring 2008 registration.

RESIDENCE HALL PARKING

• Only authorized vehicles are permitted access to the gated parking lots for College Park Apartments, Oak/Maple Halls, the Pavilion, the Overlook or to the Parking Garage. Resident students must have the correct residential parking permit for their vehicle. Parking in an unauthorized residential area may result in a citation.  
• Students changing residential status (move from one Hall to another / Commuter to Resident / Resident to Commuter) must SWAP permits – GO TO Public Safety, RM. C101 immediately upon any such change as there is no “grace period” for issuance of citations for having the incorrect permit displayed.
• Gate access is encoded on the ID card at the Public Safety Customer Service Center (Rm. C101).  The most common problem encountered is that of resident students not having had their ID card re-coded to reflect the gate access change when their residence hall changes.
• Temporary permits are available at the Main Entrance Public Safety Booth for residents being driven by a visitor and for loading/unloading a car. If no parking spaces are available for the resident area, the vehicle must be parked in one of the main lots and occupants must either walk to the residence halls or ride the Campus Shuttle (see #5 below).
• Summonses are issued for unauthorized use of reserved, handicapped or fire lane/emergency designated areas as parking spaces. Mahwah Township Police may also ticket unauthorized parked vehicles in handicapped or fire/emergency lanes in addition to campus summonses.
• The Campus Shuttle operates during the Fall and Spring semesters between the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Designated Shuttle stops are posted throughout the campus and on the Public Safety website. This service is available to all students displaying an RCNJ ID card. Guests must show a Guest Pass to the Shuttle operator.

[ return to top ]

GENERAL INFORMATION

RCNJ has sufficient parking spaces to accommodate faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors. The Parking Garage will provide gated access parking accommodations to residents of Laurel Hall, overflow parking for Overlook residents, as well as meeting special College needs.

Reminder: ID cards must be coded for Gate Access at the Public Safety Customer Service Center (Rm. C101).

Specific parking spaces are NOT assigned, except as indicated in designated areas. The large number of vehicles on campus makes it necessary to establish strict regulations to provide for the orderly parking and movement of vehicles. Everyone’s courtesy and cooperation is needed to accomplish this and is appreciated.

Residents of the Overlook are now authorized to use the Parking Garage as an overflow lot. For safety, Overlook residents using the Garage must use the pedestrian footpath between Overlook and the Garage – walking on the roadway is prohibited.

Overflow parking is available in the General Parking lots, a short walk from the academic buildings, and in the Athletic Fields/Tennis Courts areas, across the street from the Bradley Center. For resident students of CPA, overflow parking is available in the North Field (gravel) Lot. Barrier Gates and access cards are used to control vehicles in all resident areas.

Temporary parking permits are available at the Main Entrance Public Safety Booth. Visitors to campus and overnight parking for registered guests is permitted in the C-3 lot only and must have the temporary parking permit displayed.

1. All students, faculty, staff and visitors who bring a motor vehicle onto the RCNJ campus, regardless of the vehicle’s ownership, are automatically subject to Campus Motor Vehicle Rules and Regulations and to the laws of the State of New Jersey.
2. All students, faculty and staff who intend to regularly drive and park a motor vehicle on campus are required to register their motor vehicles, including motorcycles, and obtain their parking permit online at www.thepermitstore.com. Due to limited parking for residential students, only one (1) permit is authorized. Commuting students are allowed two (2) permits (the second permit at an additional fee of $65), but may only park one vehicle on campus on any one day.
3. PARKING ON THE RCNJ CAMPUS IS AT THE OPERATOR'S RISK.  Parking and driving anywhere on campus is a privilege, not a right. The presence of any vehicle on campus is, in effect, an agreement by the motorist to abide by these regulations. Receipt of this agreement and/or a parking permit constitutes an acknowledgement on behalf of the motorist that RCNJ is not liable for personal injury, property damage, or the loss of their vehicles, vehicle parts, or vehicle contents.
4. Motorbikes, motorcycles, and motor scooters must have a parking permit mounted on the rear fender. These vehicles are subject to the same regulations as four-wheeled vehicles, except that they are to be parked in a specially designated motorcycle parking area, which is located in the Reserved Parking Circle near the Main Entrance. Under no circumstances may two-wheeled vehicles be parked or operated on sidewalks or grass areas or in any area not authorized for a four-wheeled motor vehicle.
5. VISITORS - Whenever a person visits the campus or arrives on campus with a vehicle that does not have a properly displayed parking permit and wishes to park, he/she must report to the Main Public Safety Booth and obtain a temporary parking permit. He/she will also receive instructions on where to park.
6. Only emergency or authorized vehicles are permitted to drive or park on campus walkways.
7. The A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4 lots are reserved for Faculty and Staff only. No student or visitor parking is permitted in these lots unless prior permission has been granted by the Public Safety Director or Assistant Director.
8. RCNJ reserves the right to add to, delete, or change its Motor Vehicle Regulations and fees as conditions warrant. Fees are set by the Board of Trustees and announced through Ramapo’s Administration and Finance Division.
9. Faculty and Staff must register their vehicles online at www.thepermitstore.com, but will not be required to pay a fee when they apply for the permit. A second permit may be requested without cost. Faculty and staff may not transfer the second permit to another person.
10. Vehicles must be parked facing “head in” and within the painted parking space lines.

NOTE: If it becomes necessary to leave your vehicle on campus in any manner not permitted or addressed by these regulations, the Public Safety Department must be notified at (201) 684 - 7432.

Parking regulations are in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, unless the Ramapo College community is otherwise notified.

TEMPORARY / PERMANENT STATE DISABILITY PLACARD PARKING

Parking for persons with disabilities is located adjacent to the academic buildings and residence halls and includes handicapped spaces for vans equipped for wheelchairs. Faculty/staff, student, and visitors’ vehicles displaying a State-issued handicapped parking permit or license plate are also required to display a valid RCNJ parking permit or temporary parking permit.

There are no college-issued temporary disability permits. Instead, State Temporary Disability Placards may be obtained from the Chief of Police in the customer’s municipality. They are issued only to those with a temporary disability and are valid for only six (6) months. The following must be accomplished to qualify:

• Obtain an application (ISM/SP-69) from your local police department,
• Have a physician certify the application,
• Return the completed application to the police department with a $4.00 fee, payable to the Motor Vehicle Commission, and
• The police department will issue the temporary disability placard.

LINKS FOR OBTAINING MUNICIPAL OR STATE HANDICAPPED PLACARDS:

NY State Department of Motor Vehicles:
http://www.nysdmv.com/dmvfaqs.htm#HANDICAP

NJ State Department of Motor Vehicles:
http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Vehicle/HandicappedPlates.htm

[ return to top ]

SAFETY REGULATIONS

• The campus speed limit is 20 MPH, unless otherwise posted. Raised pedestrian crosswalks require a five (5) MPH speed limit. Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks. The speed limit within all parking lots is 10 MPH.
• Obey all STOP and YIELD signs and all other campus traffic safety signs. Moving violations may be issued for non-compliance by either the RCNJ Public Safety Dept. or the Mahwah Township Police.
• Parking within ten (10) feet of a fire hydrant or anywhere within a posted fire lane or emergency access area is strictly prohibited. Signs or yellow curb lines indicate these emergency access lanes.
• All persons driving on campus must comply with the directions and/or instructions given by Public Safety Officers in the performance of their official duties and upon request must produce their RCNJ ID card or, in the case of visitors, their driver’s license.

[ return to top ]

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS/DAMAGE

1. All motor vehicle accidents occurring on campus must be reported to the Public Safety Department.  Public Safety will notify the Mahwah Police Department whenever bodily injury has occurred, significant property damage has taken place to one or more vehicles, or when in the judgment of the Public Safety Officer, it is prudent to do so. In cases of personal injury, Public Safety Officers will render basic first aid and if necessary, will call for appropriate medical services to respond. RCNJ maintains an Emergency Medical Services squad, which is dispatched by the Mahwah Police Department.
2. All larcenies/ thefts and vehicle damage should be reported to Public Safety when discovered. Do not leave personal property in view in a parked vehicle. Lock valuable items in the vehicle’s trunk or other well-concealed area. Lost or stolen property should be reported to Public Safety (C-102) as soon as possible.

NOTE: The State of New Jersey does not indemnify vehicle owners or drivers for damage to their vehicle or for lost of stolen items inside the vehicle. Vehicle owners must carry private insurance to cover these contingencies.

3. In the event of emergencies, traffic and parking procedures are subject to change by the Public Safety Department without prior notice. In that case, the directives of Public Safety Officers or other authorized staff members and local law enforcement personnel must be obeyed.
4. If a Mahwah Police officer prepares a motor vehicle accident report, a copy of that report is available from the municipality. The Mahwah Police Department is located at 221 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah, NJ 07430. Phone is 201.529.1000. [Insurance companies usually request a police report, as opposed to a College Public Safety Report.  College Public Safety Reports often cannot be released, given student privacy regulations.

[ return to top ]

VIOLATIONS & FINES

1. Fines of $40 result when these violations occur:
   • No Decal /Expired Decal /Improperly Displayed Decal
   • Vehicle is Not Parked in a Painted Stall (or between painted lines)
   • Unauthorized Parking in the following areas:
     1. on walkways
     2. in turn areas
     3. in 20-minute loading zones
     4. on lawns or other grassy wooded areas
     5. in Faculty/Staff parking lots
     6. in Reserved parking areas (designated signage)
     7. in Residence Hall areas not valid for the permit displayed
     8. in temporary handicapped parking spaces (campus designated)
2. Moving violations, assessed at $50 are as follows:
   1. Failure to Stop or Yield
   2. Careless Driving
   3. Improper Passing
   4. Speeding
   5. Failure to yield to pedestrian in crosswalk
3. Towing fees are currently $75, in addition to parking violation fines. Students’ College accounts are charged this fee. If your vehicle is towed, contact the Public Safety Department to resolve fines and
   determine the location to which the vehicle has been towed.
4. Violations assessed at $100* are as follows:
   1. Illegally parking in any State designated handicapped areas*
   2. parking in a Fire Lane or within 10 feet of a fire hydrant.
   
   *Subsequent violations are assessed at $200, according to NJ State Laws.
   
   The Mahwah Police Department and Mahwah Fire Inspector strictly enforce Fire Lane/Hydrant and Handicapped area parking violations. In addition to campus fines assessed, the Mahwah Police may also issue summonses to violators parked in these areas. These fines are addressed solely through Mahwah Municipal Court. Vehicles in these locations may also be towed without prior warning.

5. Vehicles with three (3) or more unpaid and overdue violations or that present a danger or impediment to normal College operations may have an immobilizer placed on their wheel. A warning notice not to drive the vehicle or to remove the wheel or the immobilizer, will be posted on the window. Vehicle operators must come to the Public Safety Office when an immobilizer is affixed to the vehicle in order to pay all outstanding fines on their account before the Immobilizer will be removed. Payment methods are:
• Go to www.scapay.com, using a credit card or electronic check, or
• Pay in cash to the Public Safety Supervisor on Duty and receive a receipt. [There is an ATM located on the first floor of the Student Center.]

If a vehicle immobilizer is affixed to a vehicle, there is a $35.00 surcharge for removing the immobilizer in addition to payment of all outstanding fines. Any vehicle presenting a clear danger to campus safety or operations will be towed immediately.

NOTE: The Mahwah Police will be called to campus whenever it is suspected that a person is operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Other violations that the Mahwah Police likely will be contacted about include:

• Leaving the scene of an accident
• Reckless /Careless driving
• Certain violations of New Jersey statutes

[ return to top ]

ENFORCEMENT of REGULATIONS

The Public Safety Department enforces the College’s Motor Vehicle Regulations. A citation is issued and placed under the windshield wiper of the car in violation. An additional notice of the citation is sent to the alleged violator via email.

Where a staff member is not assigned a computer work station, and does not have access to email or computers in performing his or her daily work responsibility, such additional notice will be sent by campus mail.

If a student or employee believes a citation meets one of the four criteria (see the Appeals section that follows), an appeal must be filed within the 20 day window available for such at www.scapay.com. 

Students, Faculty and Staff may pay fines online at www.scapay.com. Faculty and staff may also pay fines in cash or check at the College Bursar’s Office.

Faculty and Staff, as employees of Ramapo College, are subject to the College’s Motor Vehicle Rules and Regulations while operating or parking their vehicles on campus. Faculty and Staff are responsible for payment to the College of all fines levied for violations. Payments are made online www.scapay.com. It should be noted that these Motor Vehicle Rules and Regulations are considered College policy. As such, violation of these or any other College policies may result in disciplinary action up to and including removal.

NOTE: For Faculty or Staff without access to a computer, assistance with the appeal process is available in the Public Safety Office, the Department of Human Resources, or from Unit Secretaries. A reasonable amount of time will be provided for this purpose with prior approval by the supervisor; such approval will not be unreasonably denied.

Students with serious or repeated violations will be referred to the College’s Judicial Affairs Office for appropriate disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may include loss of campus driving and/or parking privileges. If fines are left unpaid, the student’s account will be placed on “administrative hold,” denying the student future registration, obtaining transcripts, and/or receiving a diploma. Fines left unpaid 30 days or longer will be designated as Collection Transfer and assigned to the student’s account. At the end of the academic year, unpaid balances are referred to Collections by the Bursar. 

Students are responsible for any citations issued to cars owned by family members, friends, or rented cars used by them. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain a temporary parking permit at the Main Entrance Public Safety Booth, for emergency use only, due to vehicle repair, etc. The temporary permit is at no additional fee to the student. The temporary permit may be dated up to one week inclusively if needed. 

Citations not paid or appealed within 20 days are subject to a $5 late fee. A second $5 late fee is assessed after 28 days.

Visitors are responsible for payment of all fines levied for violations of the RCNJ Motor Vehicle Regulations. Citations are paid online at www.scapay.com. Non-payment of fines may result in the withholding of New Jersey State Income Tax Refunds.

Students, visitors, faculty, and staff who receive a municipal summons issued by the Mahwah Police Department on campus should understand that those summonses are adjudicated only through the Mahwah Municipal Court. If these summonses are unanswered or unpaid, the State of New Jersey may suspend or revoke the violator’s license and registration. The College has no authority to rescind or adjudicate municipal summonses.

NOTE: The College reserves the right to revoke the campus motor vehicle privileges of anyone who habitually violates motor vehicle regulations or commits an act which seriously threatens the safety of others. Student violators are subject to hearings under the Code of Conduct. The Code of Professional Responsibility addresses employees.

Vehicles parked in emergency access lanes, in front of fire hydrants, in handicapped stalls, or on walkways will be summarily towed if necessary. Nothing herein precludes the college from towing or immobilizing vehicles for any violation.

Abandoned vehicles: Any vehicles found on campus without license plates, regardless of whether there is a current RCNJ parking permit affixed to the vehicle, will be considered abandoned and will be summarily towed off campus. The College cannot offer vehicle storage. The costs for removal and storage of the vehicle are solely the responsibility of the owner or operator of the vehicle.

Vehicles parked in the same parking space for more than thirty (30) days will be subject to towing. Students with special circumstances should contact the Public Safety Director.

Considerations & Conditions with Regard to Certain Fines

* For the first 2 weeks of the Fall semester only, a $40 citation issued for No permit/expired permit, may be dismissed with proof that you have registered for your vehicle permit within seven (7) business days of the issuance of the citation. To be considered for this dismissal, you must go online to www.scapay.com, register your vehicle, print your temporary permit and then appeal your citation. Be sure to include your order number for the permit in the appeal. In the first 2 weeks of the Spring semester, only newly registered students may qualify for this consideration.

[ return to top ]

APPEALS

An online appeal by the owner/driver must be made within twenty (20) days of the issuance of a citation. Failure to file the appeal within twenty (20) days constitutes forfeiture of the right to appeal. All appeals are accepted through www.thepermitstore.com and are reviewed on a regular basis by the College’s Appeals Committee, composed of faculty, staff and students.

The only acceptable grounds for appeal are the following:

• Driver or owner misidentified by Public Safety Officer.
• No sign or other appropriate notification of restricted parking area provided for drivers.
• Actual infraction misidentified on ticket.
• Public Safety Officer’s actions were arbitrary or capricious.

 Appellants must identify upon which specific ground(s) they are appealing and briefly describe why they think so. The Appeals Committee may invalidate tickets found to be in error but may not reduce published fines or other sanctions when none of the appeals grounds listed above are met.

[ return to top ]

EMERGENCY RADIOPHONES (“BLUE LIGHT” CALL BOXES)

EMERGENCY CALL BOXES CONNECT DIRECTLY TO Public Safety

[ return to top ]

ON-CAMPUS SHUTTLE SERVICE     

The campus shuttle runs daily 8:00 PM. - 2:00 AM. Departing from the Student Center parking lot on its first run, it makes continuous loops of the campus every 20 minutes. The designated Shuttle stops are:

• Student Center parking lot
• Willow Way and Woods Road
• Upper Pine Drive (between A-3 and B-3 parking lots)
• The Village, at the Thomases Commons
• Front of Sports and Recreation Center
• Reserved Parking Circle area
• Oak/Maple parking lot
• Front of Palm Apartments
• Front of Holly Apartments
• College Park Apartments laundry room
• Front of Sycamore Apartments
• Front of International Apartments
• The Overlook

Campus Shuttle riders must assemble at the posted shuttle stops. Riders should not stand or walk in the roadways attempting to flag down the shuttle unless an emergency condition exists. Disruptive or dangerous behavior is prohibited. Alleged violators may be referred to the Judicial Affairs Office and will be removed from the Shuttle by RCNJ Public Safety or Mahwah Police. Guests of residents may use the campus shuttle service by displaying their Guest Pass.

[ return to top ]