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General Information
Ramapo College of New Jersey (RCNJ) appreciates the cooperation of students, faculty, staff and visitors who endeavor to make the campus community a safer one. For the safety of the entire Roadrunner community, it is essential that all students, faculty, staff, and visitors observe established traffic and parking regulations.
RCNJ Motor Vehicle Rules and Regulations are for the benefit of everyone who operates a motor vehicle on campus. Violation of these policies are counterproductive and harmful to everyone’s best interest and can result in the loss of parking privileges and/or disciplinary action.
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on campus is 25 miles per hour. Signs on campus may indicate restrictions of speed to less than 25 miles per hour. All campus speed restrictions may be enforced by the Township of Mahwah Police Department, or the Ramapo College Department of Public Safety.
Parking on campus is by RCNJ permit only. All students/faculty/staff must display a valid parking permit on their vehicle or they will be subject to parking citation/fines and/or the loss of parking privileges. Applications for student/faculty/staff parking permits can be completed at www.ramapo.thepermitstore.com. Instructions on completing the application can be found in the “Parking” section of this procedure. Guests driving vehicles onto campus must register with Public Safety at the Main Gate, or at a guest registration kiosk, to receive a temporary parking pass. Additional information on guest parking can be found in the “To Obtain Your Parking Permit” section of this procedure.
RCNJ has sufficient parking spaces to accommodate faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors. At times, however, the lots may be at or near capacity. Allowing sufficient time to locate a parking space when arriving on campus is strongly recommended.
For questions about the motor vehicle rules and regulations on campus, you may contact Ramapo College’s Public Safety Department. The Public Safety Department is located in the Main Academic Building (across from the “Ramapo Arch”), on the first floor, Room C-102, and is open 24/7/365.
The ID Card and Parking Office, located next door to Public Safety, in Room C-101. ID and Parking Services is open between 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday when school is in session, and 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, when school is not in session. During the posted hours of operation, you may stop in for assistance with Ramapo IDs and parking permits, without an appointment. Hours may vary during state and/or college holidays.
Public Safety Contact Numbers:
Non-Emergency Number – 201.684.7432 (Campus ext. 7432)
Emergency Number – 201.684.6666 (Campus ext. 6666)
Administrative – 201.684.7788/7789 (Campus ext. 7788/7789)
Email parking@ramapo.edu for permit-related questions, and for faculty/staff event-related parking requests.
Safety Regulations
SPEED LIMITS: Operators of motor vehicles on campus must obey all posted speed limits. Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on campus is 25 miles per hour. Signs on campus may indicate restrictions of speed to less than 25 miles per hour.
PEDESTRIAN RIGHT OF WAY: Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks. Failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk is a violation of New Jersey traffic law and RCNJ traffic regulations.
TRAFFIC SIGNS: Motorists are required to comply with all posted traffic signs, at all times. Additionally, motorists are required to obey the directions of Public Safety Officers, Traffic Officers, or Police Officers while driving on campus. Moving violations may be issued for non-compliance by either the RCNJ Public Safety Department and/or the Mahwah Township Police.
WALKWAYS: Operating and/or parking a vehicle on a campus walkway is prohibited. Exceptions to this restriction include emergency vehicles (police, fire, and/or emergency medical service). In addition, Public Safety vehicles and Facilities vehicles may use walkways for access to campus spaces only when conducting official business. Drivers of any emergency/public safety/facilities vehicles operating on a walkway must exercise due caution for the public.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Traffic citations may be issued by both Mahwah Township Police AND Ramapo College of New Jersey Public Safety. There is no “Double Jeopardy” exception, since citations issued by the Mahwah Police Department are for violations of NJ State Title 39, and citations issued by the RCNJ Department of Public Safety are for violations of RCNJ’s Motor Vehicle Rules and Regulations. A violator will be responsible for both violations, and the outcome of each will have no bearing on the other. Both violations have separate standards of proof. RCNJ moving violations are not recorded on a violator’s driving abstract in the state of issuance of the driver’s license and carry no points against the violator’s license.
Motorcycles, motorbikes, and motor scooters 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 Mackin/Bischoff lot. Under no circumstances may two-wheeled vehicles be parked or operated on sidewalks, grassy areas or in any area not authorized for a four- wheeled motor vehicle.
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. Upon request, students/faculty/staff are required to identify themselves by producing their RCNJ ID card or, in the case of a visitor, a state-issued identification card.
Parking
The large number of vehicles on campus makes it necessary to establish strict regulations to provide for orderly parking and safe movement of vehicles. Your courtesy and cooperation are needed to accomplish this, and is appreciated. Specific parking spaces are NOT assigned, except as indicated in designated areas and/or with posted reserved-parking signage.
Parking on the RCNJ campus is done at the operator’s risk. Parking on campus is a privilege, and 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.
Parking permits are issued based on the applicant’s registration or employment status with the College. Parking permits are issued to the individual registering a motor vehicle and are not transferable to any other individual. Employee parking permits may not be used by students, and likewise, employees may not use student permits.
The use of a permit not issued to your vehicle is unauthorized. Only display authorized permits issued by Public Safety Parking Services, and do not accept any permit offered to you by any other entity, or any permit that you may find. Individuals found using unauthorized, duplicated, or stolen permits may be subject to citation, immobilization, towing, and further disciplinary action through the student conduct code.
Lost/stolen permits will be reissued to the same vehicle as previously registered. Any person in possession of a lost or stolen RCNJ parking permit, or any person who obtains or transfers possession of a parking permit under false pretenses or by unauthorized means, will be subject to fines, disciplinary action and/or loss of driving privileges.
All permits remain the property of RCNJ and, with just cause, may be revoked or reclaimed by the Public Safety Department without warning. All visitors must obtain a visitor’s parking pass in order to park on campus.
Payment of the parking fee along with your tuition and other fees does not constitute parking permit compliance. You must register for your permit at www.ramapo.thepermitstore.com and follow procedures to obtain a permit and display it properly on your vehicle.
No vehicle is to remain parked on campus for longer than 72 hours during semester breaks, summer (unless enrolled as a resident summer student), holidays, vacations, etc. without prior permission from the Director of Public Safety. Requests for exceptions to this policy must be made in writing/email to parking@ramapo.edu.
IMPORTANT NOTES: If it becomes necessary to leave your vehicle on campus in any manner not permitted or addressed by these regulations, YOU MUST NOTIFY the Public Safety Department at 201.684.7432.
Failure to follow parking guidelines as outlined in this document is a violation of RCNJ policy. Non-compliance subjects the motorist to citation, immobilization, and/or towing (at the owner’s expense). A violator may be subject to additional disciplinary action through the student conduct code.
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 by the Public Safety Department.
To Obtain a Parking Permit
TO OBTAIN YOUR PARKING PERMIT:
RETURNING STUDENTS: should review account information for accurate mailing address information. Failure to update this information will result in your parking permit being mailed to an incorrect address and delay the student obtaining a valid permit.
Commuters will receive one hang tag permit, but may switch that permit between two properly registered vehicles.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Darkly-tinted windows are illegal, according to NJ State Law: Title 39. There is NO CONSIDERATION given for an improperly placed permit due to darkly tinted windows.
COMMUTER STUDENTS: While you may register two vehicles on one permit, only one registered vehicle may be parked on campus at any one time. Please ensure that if you do use two vehicles to commute, that both vehicles are registered to your current permit. This can be done in your permit store account.
RESIDENT STUDENTS: If you have NOT registered online for your permit by the beginning of the Fall semester, it is recommended that you use your campus mailing address (including your PO BOX #) to ensure the fastest delivery of your permit.
FACULTY AND STAFF: may register two vehicles online at ww.ramapo.thepermitstore.com at no cost. Faculty/staff requiring a 3rd vehicle permit may purchase the additional permit at the Parking and ID Office, Rm. C101. A $30 fee will be assessed for the 3rd faculty/staff vehicle registered on campus. Only ONE permitted vehicle is allowed to be parked on campus at one time.
Allow 10 to 14 business days for mail delivery of the permit. If by this time you have not yet received your permit in the mail, contact parking@ramapo.edu or visit the Parking and ID Office, Rm. C101, for assistance.
It is the permit-holder’s responsibility to resolve any permit issues. Failure on the permit-holder’s part to attempt a resolution constitutes noncompliance with RCNJ parking regulations and that student is solely responsible for any citations/sanction issued as a result of a failure to comply.
TEMPORARY DAILY PERMITS: are available 24 hours a day at the Main Entrance Public Safety Booth. A temporary permit is required for all non-permitted vehicles parked on campus. Temporary permits issued at the Main Entrance Booth are valid for 24 hours only.
LONG-TERM TEMPORARY PERMITS: are issued on an as-needed basis through the Parking and ID Office in Rm. C101.
VISITORS – All campus visitors must report to the Public Safety Information Booth at the Main Entrance and obtain a temporary parking permit. All visitors are authorized to park only in the D-Lots, unless specifically authorized to park elsewhere on campus by Public Safety. Overnight guests of residence hall students must use the guest registration kiosks at each residential community to register their guest an obtain a guest parking pass. All overnight guests must park in the D-Lots.
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 must be obtained in accordance with requirements of the jurisdiction/municipality in which the vehicle is registered. These placards are issued only to those with a temporary disability and are valid for only six (6) months. The following must be completed to qualify:
*Municipal fees may be subject to change.
LINKS FOR OBTAINING STATE HANDICAPPED PLACARDS:
New Jersey State Department of Motor Vehicles:
www.dmv.org/nj-new-jersey/disabled-drivers.php
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles:
www.dmv.org/ny-new-york/disabled-drivers.php
IMPORTANT NOTE: Misuse of any State Handicapped parking permit may result in citation, immobilization and/or towing. The misused permit will be confiscated and returned to the issuing agency and parking privileges on campus will be revoked.
Residence Hall, Commuter, Staff, Excess Parking
COMMUTER STUDENTS are authorized to park in the B1, B2 and B3 lots.
CPA, THE OVERLOOK, AND LAUREL HALL RESIDENTS are authorized to park in any of these resident hall areas interchangeably, provided a valid, current parking permit is displayed. Main gate and Laurel Parking Deck access is required. Overlook residents using the Parking Deck must use the pedestrian footpath between Overlook and the parking area; walking on the roadway is prohibited.
MACKIN/BISCHOFF RESIDENTS are authorized to park in the Mackin/Bischoff Hall parking lots. Main Gate access is required on your RCNJ ID card. Overflow parking for these residence areas are the Main lots. (C1, C2, and D)
VILLAGE RESIDENTS are authorized to park in designated Village parking areas which include Lots A-4, B-4, C-3 and C-4, with overflow parking available in C-1, C-2 & D-Lots. Main gate access is required on your Ramapo ID card for use when the South Gate is closed.
ALL STUDENTS may use the C1, C2, or D lots as overflow parking if their assigned lot is full.
FACULTY / STAFF are authorized to park in the A-1, A-2, A-3 lots, as well as a designated portion of the Mackin/Bischoff Lots. No student or visitor parking is permitted in these lots unless prior permission has been granted by the Public Safety Director or their designee.
OVERNIGHT GUESTS: Resident students must ensure that overnight guests are registered through their residence hall office/kiosk. Parking permits for overnight guests may be printed at the guest registration kiosks located in each residential community. Refer to the Residence Life Guide to Community Living, available via the Residence Life webpage on the RCNJ website for overnight guest details.
Overnight parking for registered guests is not authorized in the resident hall parking areas. Overnight guests must park in the D-Lots with a valid overnight permit displayed on the vehicle dashboard.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Commuters may NOT leave their vehicle parked overnight (2am – 6am) unless prior authorization has been granted by the Public Safety Department. If a commuter student stays on-campus as an overnight guest, the resident-student host must follow proper guest registration procedures for their commuter-student guest.
The Pavilion area lot and the Student Center lots are not unrestricted parking areas. Pre- authorization is required at all times to park in these lots. Unauthorized vehicles will be ticketed.
ADDITIONAL PARKING is also available at the Athletic Fields/Tennis Court parking areas, across the street from the Bradley Center. While a permit is usually necessary for these locations, parking restrictions are suspended for athletic/special events.
LOADING/UNLOADING of VEHICLES: 20 mins. Pick up/Drop off Passes are available at the Main Entrance Public Safety Booth for residents being driven by a visitor and for the loading/unloading a car. If no parking spaces are available for the residential area, the vehicle must be parked in the C-1, C-2 or D lots.
Changing Vehicles / Permit Swap
TEMPORARILY: you must obtain a temporary one-day permit from the main entrance Public Safety booth or the vehicle will be subject to citations. If a longer-term temporary permit is needed, go to the Parking and ID Office, Rm. C101.
PERMANENTLY: Remove the permit from the old car, affix to the new vehicle, access your permit store account and modify vehicle information. If the permit is damaged or will no longer adhere to the window, bring the permit into Public Safety Parking and ID Office, Rm. C101, to swap at no cost for a new permit. Lost or stolen permits are replaced for a fee of $65.
PERMIT SWAP: changing residential status (move from one Residence Hall to another / Commuter to Resident / Resident to Commuter) must SWAP permits – Go to the Parking and ID Office, RM. C101 immediately upon any such change as there is no “grace period” for issuance of citations for having the incorrect permit displayed. It is the permit holder’s responsibility to produce the old permit for a SWAP to avoid being charged $65 for a replacement permit.
Gate Access
All members of the RCNJ community needing gate access must go to the Parking and ID Office, Rm. C101, or email parking@ramapo.edu to have their ID card coded for the correct gates. RCNJ ID cards are NOT coded for gate access automatically.
Regulation Enforcement
The Public Safety Department enforces the RCNJ’s Motor Vehicle Regulations. All campus community members (students, faculty and staff) are subject to fines for violations of these policies. Citations may be issued by placement under the windshield wiper of the car found to be in violation of policy and/or traffic rules, or may be emailed to the ramapo.edu email account of the vehicle registrant. Failure to monitor your ramapo.edu will not eliminate responsibility for citations.
Citation fines may be paid online with a credit/debit card or electronic check at www.ramapo.thepermitstore.com. If the citation is left unpaid after the due date, please check your student account to determine if the fine was collection transferred to your RCNJ student account. Transferred fines must be paid directly to the Office of Student Accounts.
Students with serious or repeated violations will be referred to the College’s Office of Student Conduct for appropriate disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may include loss of campus driving and/or parking privileges.
Fines left unpaid will result in an “administrative hold” being placed on the student’s account, denying the student future registration, obtaining transcripts, and/or receiving a diploma. Fines left unpaid 30 days or longer are designated as Collection Transfers and applied to the student’s account. At the end of the academic year, unpaid balances are referred to Collections by the Office of Student Accounts.
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 vehicle’s operator to obtain a temporary daily parking permit at the Main Entrance Public Safety Booth, for emergency use only, due to vehicle repair, etc. The temporary daily permit is issued at no additional fee. A longer-term temporary permit may be dated up to two weeks inclusively if needed, obtained through Parking and ID Office, Rm. C101.
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. 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.
When an RCNJ employee is not assigned a computer work station, and does not have access to email or computers in performing his or her daily work responsibility, additional notice of violation may be sent via campus mail or US Mail.
IMPORTANT NOTES: 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.
Vehicles parked in emergency access lanes, in front of fire hydrants, in handicapped stalls, or on walkways may be summarily towed if necessary for the safety of the community. Nothing herein precludes the college from towing or immobilizing vehicles for any violation.
Abandoned vehicles: Vehicles found on campus without a license plate, whether or not a current RCNJ parking permit is displayed, will be considered abandoned and will be summarily towed off campus. RCNJ 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 for accommodation.
The College reserves the right to revoke the campus motor vehicle privileges of anyone who habitually violates motor vehicle regulations or commits an act that seriously threatens the safety of others. Student violators are subject to hearings under the Code of Conduct. The Code of Professional Responsibility addresses RCNJ employees.\
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.
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.ramapo.thepermitstore.com and are reviewed on a regular basis by the College’s Parking Appeals Board.
For those RCNJ employees without computer access, assistance with the appeal process is available in the Public Safety Office, the Department of POER, or from designated administrative assistants. A reasonable amount of time will be provided for this purpose with prior approval by the supervisor; such approval will not be unreasonably denied.
Appeals will not be considered for:
Appellants must identify upon which specific ground(s) they are appealing and briefly describe their justification. The Appeals Board may invalidate tickets found to be in error, but may not reduce published fines or other sanctions when no grounds for an appeal exists.
All decisions of the Appeals Board are FINAL.
Violations & Fines
PARKING: Fines of $50 result when these violations occur if a vehicle is observed parked:
MOVING VIOLATIONS: assessed at $60 are as follows:
Violations assessed at $250, in accordance with NJ State Law, are as follows:
IMPORTANT NOTES: The Mahwah Police Department, Mahwah Fire Inspector, and NJ State Fire Marshal’s Office 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, at the owner’s expense.
IMMOBILIZATION FEES: Vehicles with three (3) or more unpaid violations may have an immobilizer placed on their wheel. The current fee for an initial boot removal is $50. Subsequent immobilizations carry a $100 fee. A brightly colored warning notice will be affixed to the driver’s window instructing the driver to not operate the vehicle, remove the wheel or the immobilizer.
Vehicle operators must come to the Public Safety Office C-102 when an immobilizer is placed on the vehicle in order to pay all outstanding fines before the immobilizer is removed.
TOWING FEES: If a vehicle requires towing for a safety-related violation, a towing expense fee may be levied, in addition to parking violation fines. A student’s college accounts are charged this fee. If your vehicle is towed, contact the Public Safety Department to resolve fines and to determine the location to which the vehicle has been towed.
Payment of Fines
RCNJ parking fines may be paid online by visiting www.ramapo.thepermitstore.com, using a credit card or electronic check.
During regular business hours, cash payment may be made to the Office of Student Accounts.
You must FIRST stop at the Parking and ID Office, Rm. C101, or contact parking services at parking@ramapo.edu, to ensure that the fine has been transferred to your student account.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS: Citations not paid or appealed within 20 days are subject to a $5 late fee. The ability to appeal is forfeit if the appeal is not submitted within 20 days. A second $5 late fee may be assessed after 28 days.
Motor Vehicle Accidents / Damage Procedures
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, or when in the judgment of the Public Safety Officer significant property damage has taken place to one or more vehicles, or if the owner of one of the vehicles requests police assistance. In cases of personal injury, Public Safety Officers will render basic first aid and if necessary, will call for appropriate medical services to respond.
If the Mahwah Police Department responds, and prepares a motor vehicle accident report, a copy of that report is available from the Town of Mahwah. The Mahwah Police Department is located at 221 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah, NJ 07430. The MPD can be reached by phone at 201.529.1000.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When filing an insurance claim for damage to a vehicle, insurance companies may request a Police Accident Report. The Mahwah Police Department must respond in order to prepare a Police Accident Report. RCNJ Public Safety Incident Reports may not be acceptable when filing an insurance claim. Additionally, the Public Safety Department may not be able to release incident reports to an insurance company due to federal student privacy regulations.
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 areas. 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 or stolen items inside the vehicle. Vehicle owners must carry private insurance to cover these contingencies.
Emergency and Other Considerations
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.
RCNJ reserves the right to add to, delete, or change its Motor Vehicle Regulations and fees as conditions warrant. Fees are reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees and announced through Ramapo Administration and Finance Division.
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