General Campus Parking and Traffic Regulations

Lawson State Community College provides on-campus parking to handle as many vehicles as possible.  However, rules and regulations are necessary to assure maximum usefulness and convenience. It is  required that all students cooperate in seeing that these rules and regulations serve their intended purpose – to make parking spaces available to as many vehicles as possible, and, to assure a safe, smooth traffic flow on the campus.  The use of motor vehicles on the campus should be regarded as a privilege to park on campus. Each student and employee of the college should become familiar with and make every effort to comply with these rules and regulations.

Vehicle Registration/Parking Decals

All motor vehicles operated on campus by students and employees alike must be registered with the Office of Safety and Security. Motor vehicles including motorcycles, motor scooters and motorbikes must be registered. It is further required that owners of these motor vehicles carry appropriate liability insurance on such vehicles. Vehicle registration decals can be obtained from the College Bookstore, located in the Leon Kennedy Student Center (Birmingham Campus) or the College Cashier on the Bessemer Campus. To properly register a motor vehicle, all students and employees must present a current college ID and a current vehicle tag number in order to complete the vehicle registration and receive a parking decal.   Parking decals are valid for one year only. All decals expire yearly at the end of the Summer Semester and must be renewed annually. Parking decals are not transferable from one vehicle to  another or from one individual to another.  All parking decals must be permanently affixed to the driver’s side of the front window of all motor vehicles, except motorcycles and motorbikes. The parking decal must be easily seen. Only a current decal should be displayed.

Parking decals should be removed if a motor vehicle is sold or traded. All changes in motor vehicle ownership must be reported to the Office of the Chief of Police.  The individual under whose name a vehicle is registered, and to whom a parking decal is issued, will be responsible for all violations, regardless of who is driving the vehicle.

Parking and Traffic Restrictions/Regulations

All students and employees of the college are required to adhere to the following applicable parking and traffic restrictions while  operating a motor vehicle on campus:  Students and employees must park in designated areas as follows:

Curb/Parking Slot Color Type Parking

• All parking will conform to mark off areas and shall be in accordance with curb/parking slot colors and parking signs.

• Improper parking will not be permitted anywhere on campus.

• Double parking is prohibited at all times.

• Parking on or over a line curb is prohibited.

• All parallel parking will be within twelve inches of the curb.

• In all lots marked with parking spaces, motor vehicles will be parked headed into the parking space.

• Driving or parking on the grass or sidewalks and parking or standing at crosswalks, loading zones or yellow curbing is prohibited at all times.

• Motorcycles, motor scooters, motor bikes and bicycles must not be parked on yellow curbs, or sidewalks, or in driveways so that they block entrances or exits to parking areas, sidewalks, or buildings.

• Employees of the college may not authorize students to park in any other parking zone other than those specifically designated for student parking.

• All traffic regulation signs on campus must be obeyed, including stop signs, yield, crosswalk one way, and speed limit signs.

• The speed limit on all campus roadways and in all parking areas is 15 mph, but any speed not safe for the conditions of the road, including vehicle and pedestrian congestion during peak periods of the day, is prohibited.

• Motor vehicles must yield to pedestrians in designated crosswalks.

• The use of the track as a roadway by any vehicle, including bicycles, is prohibited.

• If a motor vehicle must be left on campus overnight, the Office of Safety and Security should be notified.

Enforcement of Disciplinary Actions

Police and Security Officers patrol the campus and, where necessary, warnings and tickets will be issued.  Students who receive citations for serious traffic violations such as speeding or reckless driving may be referred to the Disciplinary Committee.  Payment of all Lawson State Community College fines must be made through the Business Affairs Office within seventy-two (72) hours of  violation. Failure of a student to pay a fine will result in the student’s inability to register for a new semester, to graduate, or receive a transcript. In the case of repeated parking or traffic violations, a written notice will be sent to the violator prior to revocation of permit. Any unauthorized vehicle parked on campus may be towed away at the owner’s expense.

All City of Birmingham fines must be made through the Traffic Citation Division of Birmingham Municipal Court located at 710 20th Street North, City of Birmingham, by the court date at the bottom of the citation to avoid doubling of fines or warrants being issued.

Appeal

Any student or employee of the college who wishes to discuss and to appeal a traffic/parking citation shall contact the Chief of Security within three school days. If not, the right of appeal is waived. Individuals shall have their appeals processed within thirty days of citation.  Appeals for City of Birmingham citations are made at Traffic Citation, 710 20th Street North, after three school days.

Termination of Parking Authorization

Authorization to park on campus will be terminated when:

• A student or employee is no longer enrolled or employed at the college.

• A student or employee is officially prohibited from coming on campus.

• There is a change in control of ownership to the motor vehicle.

• Parking privileges are revoked due to repeated parking or traffic violations.