Parking

Introduction

With campus parking space at a premium, available spaces must be primarily available to transients to the campus (i.e., commuters and employees). Cooperation on the part of all members of the University community in observing parking rules and regulations will help to assure that the policy is effective and benefits the entire campus.

In order to improve parking facilities, it is necessary that a fee be charged and a permit issued to all eligible students and employees utilizing parking spaces on the West Chester University campus. Visitors may obtain a temporary pass from Public Safety, located at 690 S. Church St. or at the information desk in the Philips Memorial Building located at High Street and University Avenue. This is standard practice on most college and university campuses today. Such a fee will defray the costs of administering the parking program, the upkeep and maintenance of parking lots, and possibly additional and improved service between the north and south campuses. The permit does not guarantee a parking space; it simply reserves the right to park in assigned University lots. Be sure to read all signs when entering any University parking lot. Signage supersedes written regulations.

All questions and information concerning the West Chester University parking policy should be directed to:

Director of Public Safety
Room 18, Peoples Building
690 S. Church Street
West Chester University
Telephone: 610-436-3311 (24 hours a day, seven days a week) or Public Safety Parking Services Office, 610-436-3345 (call for hours)

Please note that all regulations concerning parking are subject to change.

General Information

Student lots are open (no permit required) from 4 p.m.- midnight Monday through Thursday, and from 4 p.m. Friday to midnight Sunday. All employees and eligible students desiring to use the designated parking lots at other times must register their vehicles with the Department of Public Safety Parking Services Office and purchase parking permits.
All parking areas are designated by posted signs. Vehicles may be parked only in those areas designated for the particular classification identified on the permit. No parking is permitted in areas without painted stalls. Violators are subject to being ticketed and towed.
The maximum speed limit on campus is 15 miles per hour, unless otherwise posted. Safe driving practices must be adhered to at all times. Violators are subject to fines.
Anyone who has a registered vehicle and who must, for valid reasons, temporarily drive an unregistered vehicle, is required to obtain a temporary permit in order to park on a designated lot where a permit is required. This permit may be obtained from the Department of Public Safety Parking Services Office.
Parking lots adjacent to Tyson, Goshen, Schmidt, and Wayne residence halls are open to N permits ONLY.

Parking Options

The first option is to purchase a parking permit from the Department of Public Safety Parking Services Office. A fee set by the Council of Trustees is collected annually. Annual is defined as the beginning of fall semester until August 31 of the following year. All permits are subject to availability.

Commuter students with 30 earned credits or more, prior to the fall semester, are eligible to park on North Campus. Commuter students with less than 30 credits are eligible to park on South campus and in M1 lot on North campus. All resident students who have 30 to 59 credits are eligible to purchase a permit to park on South Campus. All resident students who have more than 59 credits are eligible to park on North campus. Residents of the South Campus apartments are eligible to purchase a permit for that area only. Residents of the Village apartments are eligible to purchase a permit for that area only. First-year resident students are not permitted to bring cars to campus. A first-year resident student is defined as a student having earned less than 30 credits prior to the fall semester. Specific registration procedures will be announced annually. Employees and eligible students living within a five-block area of the University must park in the E.O. Bull Center (M lot) parking lot, the Matlack parking structure on North campus and O lot on South campus.

Those wishing to have a hardship exception considered may pick up an exception request sheet at the Public Safety Parking Services Office or from the Public Safety Web page.

The University provides bus service between North and South Campus during the spring and fall semesters. There is limited bus service during the summer. The buses run from 7:15 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 2:05 a.m. on Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. On North Campus, the buses stop at the bus shelter located at the corner of University Avenue/ Church Street and on Rosedale Avenue in front of Wayne Hall. On South Campus, the buses stop at the Sturzebecker Health Sciences Center, McCoy Center, the South Campus Apartment Complex, the Village Apartment Complex, and Q and R lots. Bus schedules are available at residence hall desks, the Sykes Student Union Information Center, or Public Safety. Students using the bus service are advised that it is impossible to provide timely transportation between the North and South Campus within the standard 10-minute class break. Therefore, students should plan and develop class schedules that allow sufficient travel time between the two campuses.

Motorcycle parking is available in all University parking lots. A permit must be purchased to park in your designated areas.

Mutilated or defaced parking permits must be replaced. Please contact the Department of Public Safety, Parking Services Office for the current cost.

You may pick up a copy of the "West Chester University Motor Vehicle Regulations" from the Department of Public Safety, Parking Services Office. This will be your guide to all parking regulations at West Chester University and also includes the appeal procedures for parking violations. For more information, call the Department of Public Safety, Parking Services Office (610-436-3345) during regular business hours. Purchase of a permit does not guarantee you a parking space.

The parking meters on the streets through and around the University are owned and managed by the Borough of West Chester. The fees and enforcement hours for the parking meters are set by the Borough. Information concerning the fees and enforcement is printed on the meters. In addition, a few streets around the campus are posted as Parking Area C. In order to park in these areas, one must obtain a Borough of West Chester parking permit. These permits are sold in limited number at the Borough's Parking Office located in the West Chester Borough Administration Building, Gay and Adams streets. Additional information can be obtained from the Borough of West Chester's Parking Division at 610-696-4521.
The Sharpless Street Garage, owned and operated by the Borough of West Chester, is located at the intersection of Sharpless and Church streets. Semester permits for garage parking are sold by the Borough of West Chester for $200/semester. This semester permit allows garage parking 24 hours/day, seven days/week. Information regarding the date/location/time for semester permit sales are announced by the Borough of West Chester through the University's Parking Services Office. In addition to the semester parking permits, daily and hourly parking is also available in the garage. The maximum daily parking rate is $6/day. The Borough of West Chester's Parking Division can be contacted at 610-696-4521. Parking rates listed above are current rates and are subject to change.

Disabled Parking Policy

Parking in stalls designated for persons with disabilities will be restricted to vehicles bearing official (as issued by a state, commonwealth, or West Chester University) "Person with a Disability" or "Disabled Veteran" registration plates or placard.

Parking Tickets

Any students receiving a ticket will have a hold automatically put on his or her student account. A hold means that you will be prohibited from registering for classes, receiving transcripts and graduation clearance, and future vehicle registration. Five or more unpaid tickets may result in loss of University parking privileges and towing. Currently fines range from $20 to $40 depending on the violation.

If a vehicle becomes disabled upon any highway of West Chester University or any parking lot, the operator/owner MUST report the location and license plate number of the vehicle to the University police for inclusion on the "Disabled Vehicle List." Vehicles parked in fire lane areas or reserved parking spaces may be towed at once at the operator/owner's expense.

Parking Violation Appeal Procedure

If you wish to appeal a violation, you must do so within ten calendar days from the date the violation was issued. The following is the procedure:

Step 1 - Appeal personally or in writing at the Public Safety Parking Services Office within ten calendar days of the issuance of the ticket. All appeals must be submitted on the official appeal form. Appeal forms are available in the Department of Public Safety Parking Services Office, and on the Web.
Step 2 - If Step #1 appeal is not resolved to your satisfaction, then that decision may be appealed to the Parking Committee. The appeal must be received by the Parking Committee chairperson within 10 calendar days of the denial at Step #1. The Step #2 appeal must be in writing using only the official appeal form. Forms are available in the Department of Public Safety Parking Services Office, and on the Web. Decisions by the Parking Committee are final.

Enforcement

It is the responsibility of the Department of Public Safety, empowered by the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code, to be prompt, impartial, and certain in the enforcement of all parking regulations.

Traffic control signs have been placed on campus streets. The Department of Public Safety requests cooperation of all University motorists to ensure the safety of both pedestrians and motorists. Operators who fail to obey the direction of a traffic sign or who violate any other provision of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code may receive a traffic citation.

All vehicles found to be in violation of the University and/or Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code are subject to being towed, at the owner's expense, in addition to fines.

Anyone receiving a ticket will be given a time limit of 10 calendar days by which to pay it at the cashier's window of the Bursar's Office, 25 University Avenue.

Visitor's Parking

Visitors should obtain a temporary parking pass from the Department of Public Safety Parking Services Office, display it on the dash on the driver's side to be clearly seen, and park in areas designated on the pass. University personnel should inform their visitors of parking rules and regulations.

Possession of a permit or temporary pass implies awareness of the University Motor Vehicle Regulations and the responsibility to adhere to them.

The Parking Committee

The Parking Committee is responsible for developing and reviewing guidelines for parking at West Chester University. Members are appointed by the president of the University, and the committee includes a representative from each of the following areas: Facilities Division, administration, Public Safety, RHA, OCCA, Faculty Senate, APSCUF, and AFSCME.

Key to Parking Lots:

"A" Lot Sharpless Street	Eligible commuter students
"B" Lot By 25 University Ave	Employees
"C" Lot By Peoples Building	Employees
"D" Lot Lawrence Center	Employees
"E" Lot New Street side of Lawrence	Employees
"G" Lot High Street across from Philips Memorial	Employees and visitors
"H" Lot Killinger and Schmucker	Physically disabled/Loading zone
"K" Lot Behind Sykes Student Union	Eligible commuter students and employees as posted
"L" Lot By tennis courts on Roslyn Street	North Campus resident and commuter students
"M" Lot Behind E.O. Bull Center	North Campus resident and commuter students, employees
"M 1" Lot Extension South end of "M" lot	Eligible students and employees
"M2" Lot Extension South Matlack Street	Commuter students and employees
"M3" 202 Carter Drive	Commuter students and employees
"M4" 887 South Matlack Street	Employees
Matlack Parking Structure Behind E.O. Bull Center	Eligible commuter students and employees
"N" Lot North and West of South Campus Field House	Employees
"O" Lot South and East of South Campus Field House	Commuter students
"P" Lot Adjacent to Farrell	Restricted (official parking only)
"Q" Lot South of Farrell (Note: Removal of vehicles during official University sanctioned events)	All valid permits
"R" Lot Stadium Road east of "Q" lot (Note: Removal of vehicles during official University sanctioned events)	Students
"S" Lot Across from South Campus tennis courts	Employees and eligible commuter students
"S 1" Lot By South Campus tennis courts	Employees and eligible commuter students
"S 2" Lot By South Campus softball field	Employees and eligible commuter students
"S 3" Lot By South Campus lower softball field	Employees and students
"T" Lot Rear of McCoy Barn by athletic fields	Employees
"T 1" Lot McCoy Farm House	Employees
"U" Lot South side of 201 Carter Drive	Employees
"V" Lot North side of 201 Carter Drive	Employees
"W" Lot North side of warehouse	Employees
"Y" Lot South Campus housing complex	South Campus resident students and employees as posted
"Z" Lot 210 E. Rosedale Avenue	Employees
"Z 1" Lot 220 E. Rosedale Avenue	Employees
College Arms Residence Hall South High Street	College Arms residents

Parking lot between Admissions/Graduate Studies offices - reserved for visitors to these offices. Temporary visitor passes can be obtained from either of these offices.

Parking lots adjacent to Tyson, Goshen, Schmidt, and Wayne residence halls are open to N permit ONLY.

All North Campus commuter student parking areas will be closed from midnight to 6 a.m., Monday through Friday.

West Chester University of Pennsylvania
700 South High St, West Chester, PA 19383
610-436-1000
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