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Parking & Motor Vehicle Regulations
Parking Regulations
The campus parking regulations are outlined on the pages of this website for your information and future reference. Each member of the Hartwick community should be aware of the regulations, as they are enforced to keep the campus safe and accessible to students, visitors, faculty, and staff.
First-Year Student Parking Policy
Hartwick College first-year students are not eligible to bring their motor vehicle to campus during their first academic year on campus. This includes students who have enough credits to be considered sophomores at any time during their first academic year. Students who transfer from another college and who have enough credits from that specific college will be considered for a parking permit with proper documentation.
Rationale
An initiative of Hartwick College’s strategic plan is to create a more pedestrian-friendly, residential campus. This, together with the construction of a new residential hall, has significantly reduced the number of available parking spots.
Reducing the number of motor vehicles on campus, strengthening the variety and number of activities available to students, and offering alternative methods of transportation are some of the approaches identified to address this initiative.
Limiting parking privileges to upperclassmen and non-traditional or commuter students affords residential first year students with more opportunities to focus on academics and integrate themselves into the campus community by encouraging them to take full advantage of the on-campus activities designed with their needs and interests in mind.
Alternative Transportation
A number of options exist for first year students and other students without cars on campus. Hartwick College’s location is ideal for walking, bike riding and the use of Oneonta Public Transportation (OPT).
- Buses – Oneonta Public Transportation (OPT) buses travel throughout the City of Oneonta, including the stores, restaurants, bowling alley and movie theater on Oneonta’s Southside. Hartwick students can use OPT within the City of Oneonta free of charge at any time by showing their WickIt Card (College ID). The bus stop is just off campus on Center Street and Church Street. In addition, there are six locations on campus that OPT will pick up and drop off students every half-hour starting at 6:00 p.m. and ending at 12:00 midnight on weekdays and 2:45 a.m. on weekends.
- Taxis – There are several options for taxi service in the City of Oneonta. Taxis cost a flat rate of $5 to $7 depending on location.
First-Year Student Parking FAQS
First-year residential students live in residence halls with meal plans, and on-campus employment options are readily available. First-year students are supported by a wide array of activities in their residence halls and elsewhere on campus. We want you to stay on campus so you can become a vital and enthusiastic part of the campus community and benefit from all that the College has to offer. National research indicates that resident college first year students who have cars on campus have lower GPAs in their first year than those who do not have cars. They are also less involved than students without cars, as indicated by the number of clubs and organizations that they join.
No. This policy has nothing to do with credit hours earned, but rather has to do with “first-year” admission status. For parking purposes, a first-year is defined as a student who is in their first year of college regardless of any incoming advanced credits.
On a very limited case -by-case basis. Only extreme cases where no other possible means of transportation exists will receive consideration.
We ask that students comply with the spirit of this policy by not bringing cars to campus with the expectation that they can be parked on the streets or in public areas off campus. Since Hartwick College is located in a residential area, there is very limited parking available off-campus. Most public parking garages and lots are at least a 15-minute walk from campus, and most do not allow 24-hr parking.
Yes. A commuter student is exempt from this policy and should park in designated commuter parking spots using their commuter parking tag.
Yes, see below for more information about Medical Parking Waiver Exceptions.
On a limited, case-by-case basis, first-year students who require a vehicle for off-campus participation in their major/academic program may be considered. Only extreme cases where no other possible means of transportation exists will receive consideration.
Visitors are required to obtain a visitor parking pass at the Campus Safety Office, Dewar Union 3rd floor, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or when visiting overnight. Visitors may park in designated areas in either Upper Binder Lot or Lower Yager Lot only.
Although infrequent, an exemption may be made on a case by case basis, The following link contains information about applying for a waiver: First-Year Student Waiver Request Form.
Illegally Parked or Operated Vehicles
To ensure accessibility and safety, there is a zero-tolerance policy concerning illegally parked or operated vehicles. This means that all such vehicles will be ticketed.
Fire Lanes – parking in fire lanes is strictly prohibited to ensure the safety of our community. If a vehicle is found to be parked in a fire lane (the second time), it will be ticketed and it will be towed at the owner’s expense, in accordance with the towing policy detailed below.
Handicapped Parking Areas – parking in handicapped designated parking spots is prohibited. Vehicles found to be parked in handicapped designated areas will be ticketed. After the second ticket for parking in handicapped designated areas during an academic year, the vehicle will be towed at the owner’s expense, in accordance with the towing policy detailed below.
Safety Hazards – Any vehicle found to be illegally parked on the campus and deemed to be a hazard to the Hartwick community, will be ticketed and towed in accordance with the towing policy detailed below.
Anyone receiving six tickets in the course of an academic year, whether paid or unpaid, will lose their on-campus driving and parking privileges for the remainder of that academic year.
Lost Parking Privileges
Owners of vehicles who have lost their parking privileges and who illegally bring a vehicle onto campus will be ticketed and the vehicle towed.
Parking Decals for Student Vehicle Registration
Upper-class students may register a vehicle on campus and obtain a parking decal. There is no fee for a student parking decal. First-year students are not allowed a vehicle on campus. (See First-Year Student Parking Policy, above.) Parking decals are available for returning Hartwick students and transfer students who have obtained sufficient credits by personal attendance at a College or University.
Parking decals will be placed in your college mailbox in approximately 5 to 7 business days.
Students, faculty, and staff vehicles must have a current parking decal properly displayed on the vehicle in order to legally park on campus
Student decals are dated 2022-23, Faculty/Staff (including Aramark) decals are dated 2022-2024.
Parking decals may be obtained during business hours at the Office of Campus Safety after completion of the proper Camps Vehicle Registration Form and presentation of proper ID and vehicle registration card.
Visitors and Admissions Parking
The parking spaces behind Bresee and Clark are designated Visitor & Admissions Parking. These spaces are intended for visitors to our campus or the Admissions Office. Members of the College community (faculty/staff/students) are not permitted to park in these spaces from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Faculty and staff who park in these lots will be issued a ticket and referred to their supervisor for disciplinary action.
Appeal Process
Hartwick College has an appeal process to contest parking violations. An appeal must be submitted to Campus Safety via an online Vehicle Violation Appeal Form. Requests must be submitted within five business days from violation date to be deemed valid for review. Appeals will only be considered if a vehicle violation appeal form has been submitted. Do not send email to campus safety directly regarding appeal.
Commuter Parking
Commuter students may park in Miller Court Lot (across from Elmore Field), Upper Binder, Lower Yager and in the General Lot between the Johnstone Greenhouse and New Residence Hall. Commuter students may not park in lots designated for residential students.
Loading Zone Behind Clark Hall
No parking is permitted in the designated truck delivery spaces behind Clark Hall closest to Shineman Chapel.
Where Can Students Park?
Students may park properly registered vehicles…
Residential students (those who live in on-campus housing) may park in any lot designated for residential students. These lots will be color-coded with a red sign.
Commuter/off campus students may park in Miller Court Lot(across from Elmore Field), Upper Binder, Lower Yager and in the General Lot between the Johnstone Greenhouse and New residence Hall. Commuter students may not park in lots designated for residential students.
Visitors may park in the visitor’s lot behind Bresee/Clark Halls, the Miller Court Lot (across from Elmore Field) or Upper Binder Lot.
Employees may park in all lots designated Faculty/Staff or General Parking.
Towing Vehicles
The College reserves the right to remove by towing, at the owner’s expense, any vehicle that is not registered or that is parked in violation of campus parking regulations. This includes vehicles parked on campus lawns or grass areas, as well as any vehicle parked in fire lane areas or blocking exits. This also includes any and all vehicles that have received a total of six traffic violations during the full academic year. This applies to the total number of paid and unpaid violations received per vehicle and/or operator. All persons shall be prohibited from leaving unattended vehicles on any campus roadway or drive at any time. These vehicles will be towed.
When a tow truck is called, regardless of whether it is present or not, the vehicle operator will be held responsible for compensating the tow truck driver. When a tow truck is called, regardless of whether it completes the tow or not, the registered vehicle owner will be held responsible for the towing charge.
Motor Vehicle Operating Regulations
The campus-wide speed limit is 15 mph.
- The Office of Campus Safety is charged with all campus parking and traffic control. Traffic regulations apply to all persons using Hartwick College facilities. All vehicles must be registered with the campus safety office and have a current valid state registration decal properly displayed at all times. Decals are available at the Office of Campus Safety.
- Operators wishing to register a vehicle must present a valid license, current registration, and college ID to Campus Safety.
- All vehicles must be registered in the state of the license issuance. The individual in whose name the vehicle has been registered will be responsible for all violations of said vehicle.
- No unregistered motor vehicles are permitted on Hartwick College property, including, but not limited to, snowmobiles, ATVs, etc.
- In emergency or other special situations, the Director of Campus Safety shall have the right to implement different regulations depending on the circumstances. Information will be disseminated via email or other means of communications. In the event that the City of Oneonta declares a snow emergency, individuals who have lost their parking privileges may park on campus, but only in the lower Yager or Upper Binder lots. They must remove their vehicles when the emergency is over.
- All motor vehicle operators must possess a valid state license. The operator of a motor vehicle on the Hartwick College campus must possess her or his license at all times when operating any motor vehicle. Failure to present a valid state license to any safety officer upon request may result in issuance of a summons for unlicensed operation.
- All students, employees, and visitors shall adhere to all signs on the campus and comply with the directives of campus safety officers at all times. At the request of the campus safety officer, a student or employee shall present her or his College identification card, driver’s license, vehicle registration, and vehicle insurance identification card. The campus safety officer may, at her or his discretion, retain the identification and submit the same to the Office of Campus Safety.
- Only authorized College-owned vehicles are permitted on the Table Rock/Strawberry Field areas. All others will be ticketed and towed away at the owner’s expense.
- The Director of Campus Safety or his/her designee shall have the authority at all times and particularly in situations involving unusual crowds, snow removal, building construction, or emergencies on the campus, to park and route traffic as seems best to meet the situation. In these circumstances, the Director of Campus Safety or designee shall have the authority to decide and publicize by appropriate notices, signs for directions and regulations as deemed necessary to regulate traffic control.
- No persons shall alter, deface, move, obstruct, or interfere with any traffic or control sign on the campus.
- All guests of Hartwick College students shall conform to these regulations. It is the responsibility of any person with a guest to have them register their vehicle with the Office of Campus Safety, or dispatch desk after normal business hours, and display a guest pass on their vehicle. Hosts are responsible for any parking violations of their guests.
- Under the College’s Vehicle Use Policy, all employees, students, and volunteers are required to complete a driver authorization form prior to driving a college vehicle OR a personally-owned or rental vehicle on college business or for a college related activity. Once driver authorization is granted, drivers must sign the Vehicle Use Policy and return it to the Dispatch Desk Dewar Union.
- All vehicles shall be operated in compliance with the New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law, and ordinances of the City of Oneonta in addition to Hartwick regulations.
- All vehicles will be operated at a speed reasonable and prudent under existing conditions. MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT OF 15 MPH WILL NOT BE EXCEEDED ANYWHERE ON CAMPUS.
- At all times, operators of vehicles on the campus will yield the right of way to pedestrian traffic.
- Any and all accidents involving a motor vehicle on campus must be reported to Campus Safety immediately at 607-431-4111.
- Hartwick College will not be held liable for any theft or damage to cars parked or being driven on the campus, unless the damage resulted from the negligence of a College employee operating College-owned equipment, moving College-owned property, or operating a College-owned vehicle, or an accident involving a College employee operating a College-owned vehicle. In the instance of damage resulting from an action of a College employee as noted, an incident report should be filed by either the employee or vehicle owner immediately with the Office of Campus Safety.
OFFICE OF CAMPUS SAFETY
3rd Floor, Dewar Union
Phone: 607-431-4111
Fax: 607-431-4201