Regulations for Parking and Operation of Motor Vehicles

The regulations regarding the use of parking facilities at Abilene Christian University are the result of a study by a planning committee composed of students, faculty and administrative officials of the university. The ACU parking system is self-supporting. This means it is necessary to apply a system of charges for all private vehicles utilizing university parking facilities.

Faulty/Staff and Students are expected to be familiar with and to abide by these regulations set forth in this handbook. The fact that a citation is not issued when a vehicle is illegally parked does not mean or imply that the regulation or policy is no longer in effect. The responsibility for obtaining knowledge of all parking policies and regulations rests with the motor vehicle operator. Interim amendments to these regulations will be announced in the Optimist and posted online as soon as possible.

Texas laws governing the use of motor vehicles on campus are effective at ACU. In addition, ACU assumes no responsibility for the care and/or protection of any vehicle or its contents while the vehicle is being operated or parked on campus; however, an effort will be made by the ACU Police Department to protect all vehicles and property of faculty/staff, students and the university.

Parking Authority and Control

The ACU Police Department is the parking authority for all university property. Officers are responsible for establishing guidelines for the use of any parking area on university property or for any university property that could be used for parking even if not specifically designated for parking. Such areas include, but are not limited to, athletic fields, driveways, loading areas and lawns.

Parking at ACU is a privilege, not a right. The fact that a violation notice is not issued when a vehicle is illegally parked does not mean or imply that the regulation or policy is no longer in effect.

The university reserves the right to remove and impound any abandoned motor vehicle, any vehicle with no license plates, or any vehicle parked in such a way as to constitute a serious hazard to vehicles or pedestrian traffic or to the movement and operation of emergency equipment. The owner will be involved in removing, impounding and storing of any towed vehicle.

Definitions

University property is interpreted to include all properties under the control and jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees of ACU.

Campus area refers to all university-owned or controlled property, whether on the main campus or off-campus.

Motor vehicle is interpreted to include automobiles, buses, trucks, motorcycles, motorbikes, motor scooters and mopeds.

Other vehicles include any mechanism or device that can be used for the transportation of passengers or cargo. This definition includes, but is not limited to, bicycles, skateboards, roller-skates, and in-line skates.

Parking permit is defined as any hangtag, decal or emblem authorized or issued by the ACU Police Department to allow the user to park within the ACU Parking System.

Parking zone refers to a series of parking areas in which a particular permit is valid.

General Parking Regulations

The following general parking regulations are enforced by citations, vehicle immobilization devices, towing, or suspension of parking privileges.

Barricades
Disregarding official traffic control device is strictly prohibited. This includes driving around, moving or running over traffic control devices.

Bicycles
Bicycles are not required to be registered with the university, but when not in use, are required to be parked at cycle racks provided on campus. Bicycles are prohibited from being secured to any trees, shrubbery, or signposts. Bicyclists are reminded that sidewalks are for the primary use of pedestrians. Cyclists should use caution and courtesy when riding on the sidewalks.

Motor Vehicles
*The owner/operator of a vehicle which becomes stalled or disabled on any part of the university parking system must notify the ACU Police Department immediately. Otherwise, the owner/operator will be held accountable for any citation(s) issued to the vehicle or for any impoundment or towing related fees.

*Recreational vehicles are prohibited from overnight parking or camping on campus without prior authorization and permit issued by the ACU Police Department. RV’s may only be parked in areas designated by the ACU Police Department.

*Motorcycles, motor scooters and mopeds (gas or electric) are not to be operated or parked on sidewalks for any reason. Electric mobility devices used by disabled or handicapped persons are exempt from this regulation. Parking or operating a motorcycle on a sidewalk is cause for a citation/fine and immediate revocation of the campus parking permit privileges

Parking Permits
Parking Permits are required to park on any ACU parking facility.

*The person in whose name a parking permit is issued will be held responsible for that vehicle. In the event that a permit is lost or stolen, it should be reported immediately to the ACU Police Department. Failure to report a lost or stolen permit will result in responsibility for all fines assessed against the permit until the time the permit lost or stolen was reported to ACU Police. A citation is not excused on the plea that another person was driving the vehicle at the time the vehicle was cited.

*A permit itself is no guarantee of a parking space near the place where one works, resides or attends class.

*Student Permit – the face of the current permit must be clearly legible from the back of the vehicle and properly displayed to be honored.  Permit must be permanently affixed to the lower driver’s side windshield of the vehicle’s back window/motorcycle’s front fairing or fork. Taping or propping up of a parking permit is not considered to be permanent.

*Faculty/Staff Permit – the face of the current hangtag permit must be clearly legible from the rearview mirror with numbered side facing out.

• Parking Permit related regulations are enforced 24 hours each day anytime that school semesters of any type are underway. This begins the first day of each semester, Maymester, Summer session and December short-courses and ending after the last day of the semester or course final exams. Yellow curbs, handicap spaces, fire zones, motorcycle and bicycle zones are enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year.
• All vehicles parked on ANY campus parking facility must have a valid parking permit, regardless of the duration, reason, or time of day that the vehicle is parked on campus.
• Students the falsification of information on a vehicle/motorcycle registration will result in a fine of $50 and/or loss of parking privileges on the campus. This also includes displaying a lost or stolen decal or a falsely made or altered decal, or using a decal which has been issued to another person.

Parking Privileges

*Parking privileges may be temporarily suspended at any time to accommodate special events or other needs of the university.

*Parking privilege may be suspended due to excessive fines and unwillingness to follow parking regulations.

Parking Spaces

*Responsibility for finding an authorized parking space within the zones designated by the permit rests with the motor vehicle operator.

*All vehicles must park within a defined space. A space is defined by two (2) parallel stripes. Any vehicle parked parallel on a roadway must face the direction of authorized traffic movement.

*Parking a vehicle in any place that will create a traffic hazard or obstruct access is prohibited and may result in the vehicle being cited or towed.

Trailers
Trailers, whether towed by a vehicle or parked independently, are prohibited from parking within the ACU Parking System without prior permit and permission from the ACU Police Department. Trailers may be required to park in designated areas only.

Sidewalks
The use of campus sidewalks by motor vehicles other than authorized emergency/maintenance vehicles for driving or parking is strictly prohibited.

Speed limit
The speed limit for all vehicles in a parking lot is 10 MPH.

A 15 MPH speed limit will be enforced for vehicles traveling on any street through campus.

Parking Permit

Parking Permits are required to park on any ACU parking facility.

Permit Availability and Parking
All Faculty/Staff and Students, who operate a vehicle/motorcycle on university property, regularly or occasionally, are required to register the vehicle at

my.acu.edu –> Quicklinks –> Parking Portal

Please fill in information and print confirmation page.

Faculty/Staff:  Please bring confirmation page to ACU Police Department to pick up your permit during business hours of 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. 

Students:  Please bring confirmation page to Wildcat Central located in the McGlothlin Campus Center to pick up your permit during business hours of 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. 

Permit Classifications

1. Authorized Student Parking Permit – Students are required to have a parking decal to park on the ACU campus. Students with parking decals are required to park in lots designated as “Student Parking Only” or marked “All ACU Parking”. All student parking lots adjacent to student housing facilities should be cleared of non-resident student vehicles before curfew so that resident students are able to park.
2. Faculty/Staff Parking Permit – Full-time employees may obtain a parking permit and shall only park in lots designated as “Faculty/Staff Parking” or marked “All ACU Parking”. Faculty/Staff are not permitted to park in areas designated as student parking. Residence Hall Directors will park in spaces designated as Resident Director which are adjacent to each residence hall on campus.
3. Intercollegiate permits – Parking permits from Hardin-Simmons and McMurry Universities are honored by ACU if the permits are current, valid and properly affixed. These persons are not considered visitors and are not allowed to park in Visitor spaces or in designated Faculty-Staff lots.
4. Visitor permits- Permits for visitors to ACU are available at no charge and may be obtained at the ACU Police Department. Visitors may park in any designated parking lots on campus. Visitors are defined as one who is not enrolled, has no relationship with ACU as faculty, administration, student or staff. Student’s spouses are not considered visitors.
5. Handicapped/Disabled Placards – State of Texas Handicap permits or placards are available through your County Tax Assessor office. Legally issued and valid handicap placards or license plates or required for vehicles to legally park in campus handicapped spaces. ACU Police will not issue “temporary handicapped” permits.
6. Temporary permits – Temporary permits are available for a period of two weeks only. Temporary permits are only issued to those persons who currently have a valid parking permit issued to another vehicle.

Student Parking Permit Fees & Fines
Permit fees for an academic school year (August through July) are: 

• Automobiles – $55
• Motorcycle – $55

Permits purchased after December 31 of the academic year are as follows:

• Automobiles – $55
• Motorcycle – $55

Permits for Summer school sessions only are as follows:

• Automobiles – $55
• Motorcycle – $55

Permit fees for students enrolled with the Intercollegiate School of Nursing and for ACU Graduate students (taking 9 hours or less) are as follows:

• Automobile – $55
• Motorcycle – $55

Replacement Parking Permits may be obtained for a fee of $5. Temporary permits are available at no charge for a period not to exceed two weeks and only to users who have purchased current year permit decals. Temporary permits are to be placed on the front driver’s side windshield.

Parking Violations

1. Cycle/Bicycle not parked in designated area ($20)
2. Disregarded or Moved Barricades ($25)
3. Disregarding Stop Sign ($25)
4. Improperly affixed or mutilated decal ($20)
5. Failure to display a valid ACU parking permit ($20) plus an automatic registration fee*
6. Failure to park in a single space ($20)
7. Parked in non-designated space ($20)
8. Parking in handicapped zone ($100)
9. Parking in red zone or Fire Lane ($35)
10. Parking in reserved zone: Loading or Visitor ($20)
11. Parking in 30-minute zone ($20)
12. Parking in Visitor’s Zone without a valid visitor permit ($20)
13. Reuse of Citation ($20)

*Special note: Any student receiving a campus parking citation, who has not already registered their vehicle and purchased a Student Parking Permit, will be automatically charged the appropriate Student Parking Permit fee. Parking on campus and receiving a parking citation creates the presumption that the vehicle operator is in fact using the university parking facilities without having paid the required fees for said use, regardless of the reason or number of instances the vehicle has been cited for parking on campus.

Booted Vehicles/Vehicle Immobilization Devices

The ACU Police Department may place immobilization devices (boots) upon vehicles for any of the following reasons:          

1. Failure to properly register a vehicle
2. Excessive parking violations and/or excessive unpaid parking violations
3. Repeated/excessive illegal parking in handicap zones, red zones /fire lanes
4. Blatant parking violations. 

To obtain release of the vehicle, violators will be required to pay a $75 fine. Tampering with or attempting to remove the device from a vehicle is prohibited. Damage to the boot device or to the vehicle due to unauthorized tampering will be at owner’s expense, and may result in criminal charges being filed.