Effective 9/2024 – Albright College

Effective 9/2024

ALBRIGHT COLLEGE REGISTRATION AND PARKING REGULATIONS  

2024 – 2025 

Albright College is issuing the following regulations. The College reserves the right to amend these regulations as circumstance warrant. The regulations authorize the Department of Public Safety to enforce these regulations in order for faculty, students, administrators, staff and guests to use existing parking facilities more effectively.  

 

REGISTRATION 

All Albright College faculty, employees, undergraduate and graduate students who desire to use Albright parking facilities must register their vehicles with the Department of Public Safety.  

 

A $40.00 parking registration fee is required from all full-time undergraduate students. While parking registration does not guarantee a parking space, we realize that community members may have to occasionally park off campus. Albright College and the Department of Public Safety earmark all monies charged from registrations and parking tickets for safety improvements around the campus, such as the College Video Surveillance System.  

Students must display their parking permits on the rearview mirror of their registered vehicle with the permit number facing out and readable from the front of the vehicle. The permit must be visible. Obscured parking permits are not acceptable. Employees and faculty must place issued parking stickers on the corner of the windshield facing out. Proper placement allows for easy identification of a vehicle in situations where the Department of Public Safety must contact the owner or verify campus registration. Students may access the Public Safety web site to register and submit a request any time of day. When students register their vehicles, they authorize billing the permit fee to their student accounts. Students who change vehicles during the academic year must provide change of registration information to the Public Safety office in a timely manner. Students who lose their parking permits will be charged $40.00 for a replacement tag. Delivery of Parking Permits is via campus student mailboxes; commuter students should pick up their parking pass in the Public Safety Office. 

Employees and faculty are only required to register one time; however, if a change of vehicle occurs, a new permit sticker is required. If employees or students have additional vehicles they may wish to park on campus lots from time to time, they must register them with the Department of Public Safety. 

 

Department of Public Safety encourages all members of the Albright community to register their vehicles and obtain parking permits. In event of a problem, e.g., lights left on, accident tire going flat, vehicle break in or “hit and run”. The registration enables the Department of Public Safety to identify and contact the owner in a timely manner. 

 

STUDENT GUEST TEMPORARY PARKING PERMITS 

When students have guests or when a vehicle will be parked on campus for a period of time not to exceed the three day on-campus housing rule, it is necessary to obtain a temporary parking permit from the Department of Public Safety and to have it displayed on the dashboard. (A more complete policy explanation is in the Community Guide under Guest/Escort Policy). 

 

LONG-TERM LEASED VEHICLES 

Whenever College departments lease a vehicle for long-term usage, it is necessary to obtain a parking permit to display on the rear-view mirror on the driver’s side of the vehicle, whether parked on the street or on campus. This is required in event the vehicle must be moved from its location due to an emergency situation.  

 

 

VISITOR/GUEST PARKING 

All members of the Albright community should make every effort to make our guests feel welcome upon their arrival on campus. When offices or departments are expecting guests, they should obtain special parking permits from the Department of Public Safety. If possible, the host department should distribute the parking permit to the guest prior to arrival and instruct the guest to place the parking permit on the dashboard. Visitors may park in any available space in the Main Parking lot except the spaces designated for Admissions Guests, College officials or other persons with valid permits and the 15 minute restricted spaces. Should spaces not be available, guests may park in any available space in the Gene Shirk Stadium Parking Lot on the corner of 13th and Exeter Streets. The host office/department assists unexpected guests in obtaining a special parking permit and parking location from the Department of Public Safety. 

 

ADA PARKING 

The college provides designated ADA accessible spaces throughout the campus for any person who is physically disabled. Campus ADA access signs comply with applicable state or federal laws. Cars parked illegally in these spaces are subject to ticketing or towing at the owner’s expense. Students with ADA placards are also required to have proper Resident or Commuter parking permits. Anyone requiring a permanent ADA parking space should contact the Department of Public Safety to make proper arrangements. 

 

 

 

CITY AND TOWNSHIP STREET PARKING 

Although Reading Parking Authority and township regulations allow parking on public streets, members of the Albright community should be sensitive to the need to maintain good community relations and avoid, whenever possible, parking in front of private residences when there are alternative locations. The City of Reading has granted parking permits to the residents along the east side of Palm and Union Streets (opposite side of street from academic buildings) and, therefore, non-residents may not park at these locations. Under no circumstances should a member of the Albright community block a private driveway. Failure to abide by public parking ordinances and regulations may result in traffic citations issued by the appropriate city or township police departments. 

SPECIAL TEMPORARY PARKING NEEDS 

Faculty, employees, students or guests having extenuating needs for extended parking time, either long-term or short-term, are encouraged to arrange for their needs through the Department of Public Safety. Circumstances determine the need for a special permit. The Department reserves the right to determine the length of the permit. Any request for extension of special parking privileges requires the individual contact with the Public Safety office at the end of a designated time for further review. 

PARKING RESTRICTIONS 

Parking is prohibited in any fire lane, loading dock, reserved space or area marked “No Parking”, including but not limited to: 

  • Masters Hall Circle (designated fire lane) 
  • East fire lane in front of Mohn Hall 
  • Campus Center loading dock 
  • Center for the Arts loading dock 
  • Science loading dock 
  • Loading dock at the rear of the campus center
  • Entire driveway entering the parking lot of North Hall 
  • Either side of the main driveway to Albright Woods 
  • Entrance to any delivery, service or trash removal area 
  • Unpaved landscaped areas, unless authorized by the Department of Public Safety or Facilities Services and Operations 

PENALTIES 

  • Unregistered/No, current permit displayed: $50 
  • Unauthorized parking in handicapped space: $50 
  • Parking in a loading zone: $25 
  • Parking in a fire lane: $25 
  • Parking in a no parking/driving zone: $25 
  • Parking on sidewalk/grass: $25 
  • Parking in reserved/restricted spaces: $20 
  • Exceeding 15-minute parking limit: $20 

 

 

TOWING OF VEHICLE 

The Department of Public Safety reserves the right to arrange to tow any vehicle when the location of the vehicle presents a hazardous or emergency situation. 

Violators are responsible for payment of towing charges in addition to the above-stated penalty. Commonwealth statutes hold private institutions harmless from any liability associated with towing of vehicles from private parking lots. 

 

RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIOLATIONS 

The owner/operator of a vehicle registered with the Department of Public Safety in accordance with Albright College campus parking regulations is responsible for any violations and related penalties. It is incumbent upon the owner/operator to ensure that all operators of the vehicle are aware of the College’s parking rules and regulations found in the student handbook, and, in the rules and regulations distributed electronically to all full-time undergraduate students and on the College’s web site. 

APPEAL HEARINGS 

If you believe that a parking citation you have received is unwarranted, you have the right to request a hearing by completing an appeal form, which can be obtained from the Department of Public Safety and submitted to that office within five calendar days of the date of issuance. An appeal hearing will be conducted by the Assistant Director of Public Safety, who serves as the Hearing Examiner.  

At the time of submission of an appeal form, each appellant will be assigned a date and time for a hearing, which is mutually agreed upon. You may, before the date of the hearing, request a new date in the event of an unanticipated conflict. Only one new hearing may be requested. Failure to appear for a scheduled hearing will result in an additional $5 fine to your citation and the forfeit of any right to appeal. Failure to request a hearing within five days of the parking citation or failure to appear at your hearing will result in your forfeiting any appeal rights.  

 

A plea of ignorance of the Albright College parking policy will not be accepted as an excuse for violation. The appellant will be contacted either by correspondence or email within three days after the hearing, by the Hearing Examiner, who will advise of the verdict of said hearing. Should the appellant feel the verdict and conclusion of the Hearing Examiner to be unjustified and unfair, the appellant may, within three days of receiving notice from the Hearing Examiner, contact Department of Public Safety by phone or email, to request an additional hearing of the appeal. A date and time will be scheduled for said hearing, which will be conducted and administered by the Director of the Department of Public Safety. The decision by the director will be final and absolute. 

 

 

 

 

PARKING LOT RESERVATIONS 

Please submit all requests for parking lot reservations two weeks in advance via the Public Safety Parking Lot Reservation form @ https://www.albright.edu/student-life/campus-safety/forms/parking-lot-request/. Please note that reservation requests for the Computer Science/Chapel and Schumo Lots are not acceptable, except for major events such as graduation.  

If the event requires an officer to remain on the lot longer than 15 minutes, your department will be charged $25.00 per hour. Weekend reservations are not required, except for Admission Office and Alumni Relations events, major speakers and weddings in the Chapel. Reservations for Individual parking spaces are only those events where the need is for ten or more spaces. Parking on all lots, except Computer Science/Chapel and Schumo, after 5 p.m. is available on a first come-first serve basis.  

 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES CHARGING AND PARKING SPOTS 

Albright College is committed to providing sustainable transportation options. As a demonstration of this commitment, the College has installed vehicle-charging stations across campus. 

  • There is no parking allowed in spots designated as charging stations unless you are charging your vehicle. Vehicles must be actively charging when parked in the designated spots. 
  • Vehicles parked beyond a six-hour time limit may be ticketed. 
  • Charging station spots may be closed at times for special event parking, maintenance, and construction.