UC IRVINE ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Responsible Office: Parking and Transportation Services Revised: September 2005

California Vehicle Code, Sections 400 and 405

UCI Administrative Policies & Procedures

Section 904 Parking Policy
Section 904-11 Parking Permits and Fees
Section 904-12 Commuter Services and Ridesharing
Section 904-13 Vehicles Other Than Automobiles
Section 904-14 Motorist Assistance Service
Section 904-15 Commuter Services - Carpool Program
Section 904-16 Commuter Services- Vanpool Program

A. Definitions

1. Academic Senate Parking Oversight Committee - A committee established by the Academic Senate to review and make recommendations on parking policies, practices, and regulations.

2. Affiliate - A person who is a student or an employee of UCI or who is related to or resides at the same residence with a UCI student or employee.

3. Employee - A compensated individual with an appointment of at least 50% time who is not a student, or a teaching assistant who receives compensation.
   1. Faculty - An employee of the University who is represented through the Academic Personnel Office.

   2. Staff - An employee of the University who is represented through the Human Resources (Staff) Office.

   3. Teaching Assistant - A graduate student who assists in the instruction of a class and receives compensation.

   4. Temporary Employee - An employee who is employed through the Campus Temporary Services Office or who is employed at less than 50% time.

4. Event Patron - A non-affiliated individual who attends an event held at the UCI campus.

5. General Parking - All parking stalls in general and mixed use parking lots that are not marked by a sign, parking meter, and/or other restrictive designation painted on the ground.

6. Parking Citation - A notice to the vehicle owner/operator of failure to comply with UCI parking regulations or the California Vehicle Code. A penalty is attached to each violation notice.

7. Parking Permit - A non-transferable decal, printed card or tag, or other authorization issued for a specific period of time by authority of the UCI Parking and Transportation Services Department which represents permission to park. A parking permit is valid only when issued to an eligible person who has complied with all terms of issuance prescribed by the University and when the permit is properly displayed.

8. Preferred/Reserved Parking - Spaces set aside in certain parking areas specifically for preferred/reserved permit holders.

9. Resident Parking - Spaces set aside for the use of residential permit holders.

10. Student - Any person who is registered for classes at UCI on either a part-time or full-time basis and who is not a full-time employee of UCI. Students employed part-time (less than 50%) by UCI are considered students, not employees.

11. Vehicle - Any motorized device by which a person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway (includes: motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, motorized bicycles, and motorized skateboards).

    1. Motorcycle - Any two-wheeled motorized device, including mopeds and scooters, which meets the requirements of Sections 400 and 405 of the California Vehicle Code.

    2. University Vehicle - A vehicle owned and operated by the University. All University vehicles must display a license plate bearing a diamond "E" insignia or "California Exempt" designation and University of California decal.

12. Visitor - Any person coming to the campus who is not an employee, student, affiliate, or event patron.

B. Regulations

1. Speed Limits

University speed limits are 10 miles per hour in all parking areas and 25 miles per hour on all roads and drives unless otherwise posted.

2. Motor Vehicle Access

Operating a motor vehicle on campus sidewalks, malls, lawns, or any surface not specifically designated as a campus road, street, or driveway is prohibited. Only authorized vehicles may drive on the "Ring Mall" or in Aldrich Park.

3. Removing Posted Signs or Other Marking or Warning Devices

The removal of any traffic directional or parking sign, fence, barricade, warning device, or other marker used to direct or control vehicle movement is prohibited. In the event of such activity, the appropriate violation notice is issued, and further disciplinary action may be taken, including the filing of criminal charges and/or notification of the appropriate dean or vice chancellor.

C. Enforcement Practices and Hours

1. 24 Hour Enforcement

Vehicles parked on the UCI campus are required to display parking permits 24 hours daily, Monday through Sunday. Parking enforcement staff patrol the UCI campus 24 hours a day, Monday through Sunday. However, several parking zones have 24 hour enforcement Monday through Sunday and are patrolled by the UCI Police Department. The following are 24 hour enforcement zones:

a. Disabled Parking

All disabled parking stalls and zones are enforced 24 hours daily, Monday through Sunday. A vehicle driven by a UCI employee or student parked in a disabled stall must display either a UCI Medical Parking Permit or a disabled parking placard with a general faculty/staff permit, student commuter permit, or student resident permit. Faculty, staff, and students who have DMV-issued disabled parking placards must bring their placards to the Parking Office when purchasing permits. A disabled visitor may park in any disabled stall displaying only a disabled parking placard.

b. Service Parking

All service parking stalls and zones are enforced 24 hours daily, Monday through Sunday. A vehicle must display either a departmental service permit and a valid UCI permit or a vendor/service parking permit while parked in a service stall.

Vehicles displaying departmental service permits and non-equipment carrying University vehicles must obey posted time restrictions. Vehicles displaying vendor/service parking permits and equipment carrying University vehicles are exempt from posted time restrictions.

c. Fire Lanes/Fire Hydrants

All roads and driveways on the UCI campus are considered fire lanes and must be kept unobstructed and available to emergency response vehicles at all times. Access to fire hydrants must also be maintained at all times. Any vehicle presenting a hazard by obstructing a fire lane or a fire hydrant is towed immediately.

d. Red Curbs

A vehicle may not park or stop at a red curb. Most red curbs indicate a fire lane or emergency vehicle access route.

e. Loading Zones

Loading zones are identified with a yellow curb or a yellow crosshatch and the words "Loading Zone" painted on the pavement. Parking is permitted for 10 minutes to facilitate the immediate loading and unloading of material. If it is necessary for the vehicle to remain longer than 10 minutes, the vehicle should be moved to a service parking space. The driver MUST obtain a service parking permit before parking in the service parking space.

f. AR/Preferred Parking

Vehicles displaying AR permits may park in the AR/Preferred parking zones to which they are assigned but may not park in other AR/Preferred parking zones.

While most AR/Preferred parking zones are open to all permits after 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday, several stalls in each AR/Preferred parking zone and some whole AR parking zones are reserved exclusively for AR permits assigned to those zones. These stalls are posted with 24-hour enforcement signs.

g. X/Reserved Parking

X/Reserved parking zones are reserved for X permit holders 24 hours daily, Monday through Sunday.

h. Timed Visitor Parking

All timed parking zones are enforced 24 hours daily, Monday through Sunday.

i. Resident Parking

All resident parking zones are enforced 24 hours daily, Monday through Sunday. Only students with resident parking permits are eligible to park in these zones.

j. Freshman Commuter Parking

All commuters who have been identified as a Level 1 by the Registrar may only purchase a Freshman Commuter permit. F permits are valid only in the California Temporary (CT) lot or in the Anteater Recreation Center (ARC) lot Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The permit is valid on the main campus after 4:00 p.m., and all day Saturday and Sunday


2. Enforcement 24 Hours a Day, Monday through Sunday

Regulations are enforced in the following general and preferred/reserved parking zones 24 hours a day, Monday through Sunday.

a. General Parking

General parking zones are those lots and areas where general permits for faculty, staff and student commuters (other than Freshman Commuters) are valid. These zones are enforced by Parking staff 24 hours a day, Monday through Sunday.

b. AR/Preferred Parking

AR/Preferred parking zones are those lots and areas where "RESERVED" is stenciled in the parking stall and/or the "AR" parking designation is posted on the entrance sign to the parking lot. These zones are enforced by Parking staff 24 hours a day, Monday through Sunday.

3. Evening (after 4:00 p.m.) and Weekend Parking

All general commuter, resident, and evening permits are valid in all general parking zones and non-24 hour enforced preferred parking zones after 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday. Commuter and evening permits are not valid in resident parking zones at any time. Resident permits are not valid in parking structures at any time.

4. Use of Pepper Spray

Parking personnel are authorized to carry a non-lethal weapon that can cause injury (pepper spray). It may be used if a person or animal represents an immediate danger to an officer or other persons, and other methods are insufficent in averting attack. Instruction in its use and first aid measures for exporsure to the irritant is required of all enforcement officers.

D. Overnight Parking

Overnight parking is prohibited unless previously authorized by Parking and Transportation. Only vehicles displaying student resident permits may park overnight.

Camping or residing in a motor vehicle on University property is prohibited unless authorized by Parking and Transportation, Police, and Environmental Health and Safety.

E. Areas Where Parking Is Prohibited

F. Parking Restrictions

1. Head-First Parking

All vehicles must be parked in parking spaces front-end first. Maneuvering into a parking stall so that the front-end of the vehicle is at the stall opening can disrupt the flow of traffic in parking aisles. A citation is issued for failure to comply with this regulation.

2. Motorcycle, Moped, Motorized Bicycle, and Scooter Parking

All motorcycles, mopeds, motorized bicycles, and scooters must park in areas designated for motorcycles, or in metered or time-controlled zones. 

G. Disabled Parking

1. Disabled Parking Authorization

Disabled parking spaces are available to individuals who have secured authorized disabled parking placards from the state, and to faculty, staff and students who have obtained medical permits and have medical authorization forms on file with Parking and Transportation.

2. Location of Disabled Parking Spaces

Parking and Transportation makes every effort to locate disabled parking spaces close to buildings to facilitate access by disabled individuals. Parking and Transportation utilizes the recommendations made by the Office of Disability Services to identify these locations.

3. Disabled Space Allocation

The number and type of Disabled parking spaces is determined by Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines and specifications. Disabled spaces are marked in locations next to buildings and in parking areas closest to buildings. Additional disabled spaces are marked close to buildings that attract a significant number of patrons, such as libraries. Sufficient disabled spaces are designated to accommodate not only faculty, staff and students, but also event patrons and visitors.

a. Disabled Spaces in Structures

Disabled parking spaces are designated in parking structures on those levels with sufficient vertical clearance to accommodate modified vehicles.

b. Disabled Spaces in Surface Lots

Disabled spaces are designated in surface lots closest to buildings.

c. Disable Access to Gate Controlled Lots

Parking and Transportation provides key cards for disabled individuals to access gate controlled parking areas near their buildings.

d. Disabled/Handicapped Visitor Parking

UCI campus visitors who display State-issued disabled parking placards are exempt from paying fees.