Parking Enforcement

All campus traffic and parking regulations are enforced on a 24 hour, seven-day-a-week basis. The rules described herein are in effect during the weekend/break/summer. 

Persons wishing to leave their vehicles on campus over breaks or for long periods of time may do so by notifying the Department of Campus Safety. You will be required to:

• Sign a waiver releasing the College of all liability
• Leave the keys to your vehicle with the Campus Safety Department so that your vehicle may be moved if necessary.
• Park in a lot designated by Campus Safety (the Wege lot is not available for this purpose).

All vehicles must have a current state registration, a valid Aquinas College parking permit, and be in operating condition or they will be processed as abandoned vehicles and towed at the owner’s expense. 

During the snow season it may become necessary to clear lots of all vehicles for snow removal. You may be requested to change your designated parking lot temporarily to facilitate the removal of snow. Failure to comply with the request may result in the ticketing and/or towing of the vehicle at the owner's expense. 
The Snow Information Hotline is a recorded message on ext. 2463 of the Aquinas College Phone Mail System. From off-campus, one would call (616) 632-2463. The intent of the Hotline is to allow persons calling the College to access a 24-hour, up-to-date message describing the current and forecasted weather conditions and how these conditions are affecting College business.

At times, it is necessary to restrict or alter parking on campus. Severe weather and/or College-sponsored events may require the reallocation of parking resources at any given time. In the event that lot designations must be changed, the Aquinas community will be notified of these changes at the earliest date possible. This notification will take place via parking bulletins, email, and/or Moose postings.

Motorcycles and mopeds are subject to the same restrictions and/or regulations that apply to all motor vehicles. Motorcycles and mopeds may be parked near bicycle racks. They are not permitted to operate on paths, sidewalks or pedestrian walkways. They must be registered and display a valid parking permit. They must also have proper safety equipment as specified by the Michigan Vehicle Code. All riders must wear safety helmets as specified by the Michigan Vehicle Code. They may not be parked or stored in any building or entrance.

A legal parking space consists of two painted lines on the pavement or one line and a curb designating a single parking area.

If a substitute vehicle is being used for more than 48 hours, a temporary permit must be obtained by taking the vehicle registration and driver's license to the Campus Safety Office. If the substitute vehicle will be used for less than 48 hours, the driver will need to obtain a Request Not to Ticket.

Use of handicap parking spaces is restricted ONLY to those vehicles with a state-issued handicapped license plate or displaying a state-issued permit. Vehicles parked in spaces designated for the handicapped without a proper plate or permit will be ticketed by Aquinas College Campus Safety Department and/or the Grand Rapids Police Department. Michigan State law requires that handicapped parking spaces be enforced on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week including holiday periods. Quick errands, deliveries, or drop offs are not a valid excuse for parking in or obstructing handicapped spaces. Individuals with temporary handicaps should apply to the State for a temporary handicapped permit.

A visitor is defined as any person who is not a student or employee of the College. The designated visitor parking areas on campus are not numerous, nor are they intended for use as long-term parking for visitors. Guests are requested to park in either the Fulton Lot or Woodward Lot. Guests to the Aquinas campus are expected to abide by all campus parking regulations and speed limits. All overnight visitors must obtain a visitor parking pass and park in the correct parking lot.

We understand that on occasion there may be exceptional circumstances that require you to park in an area that you are not assigned, or drive a car that has no permit. If this should happen, call the Campus Safety Office at (616) 632-2462, explain the situation and request an RNTT. In granting RNTT’s we must place emphasis on the request being an exceptional situation.

Listed below are some examples of requests that will be denied. RNTT's will not be issued to visitors of students for overnight parking!

• Being late for work or class
• Not being able to find a parking space
• Weather-related reasons, i.e., not wanting to get wet, snowed on, etc.
• Requests for the Holmdene Lot; must have a special permit displayed
• Forgetting a special permit

 Note: RNTT's are not valid for longer than 48 hours. Campus Safety cannot authorize a vehicle to remain illegally parked in handicap spaces, blocking traffic, fire lanes, etc.