Handbook of Operating Procedures > Series 200 General Policies and Procedures > 2.10.4 Traffic and Parking

2.10.4 Traffic and Parking

A. Purpose

To provide general guidelines for university traffic and parking operations. Campus specific parking rules and regulations are available on the respective PD webpages.

B. Persons Affected

All University of Texas at Tyler and University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (collectively, the "University") employees, faculty, staff, students and other personnel and departments (excluding any legitimate academic uses covered by university policy governing research with human subjects).

C. Definitions

Campus: The property under the control of the university.

President: The Chief Executive Officer of the university.

Chief of Police: The Chief of University Police Department. The UT Health Science Center Campus and UT Main Campus have separate police operations and therefore have separate Police Chiefs.

University Police: The University Police Department acting directly or through its duly authorized officers or agents. For the purpose of this policy only, the University Police will refer to both campus Police Departments.

Driver or Vehicle Operator: Any person who drives, operates or is in actual physical control of a vehicle.

Visitor: A person who is neither a student nor an employee of the university.

Employee: Any person employed by the university, regardless of whether the person is employed with or without a salary, including contract persons who perform services on campus, but not including volunteers.

Resident Student Doctor: Any person duly registered, enrolled, and serving medical residency at the UT Health Science Center campus.

Student: Any person duly registered, enrolled, and attending classes at the university.

Volunteers: Any person officially registered through the volunteer application process to provide unpaid, volunteer services to university departments.

Parking Permit: Permits issued by the university to be properly displayed on vehicles parked on campus by any person.

General Parking: Any lined parking space not marked as Reserved, Visitor, Faculty/Staff, Handicapped, or University Vehicle.

D. Policy

Pursuant to the authority granted by Section 51.201 of the Texas Education Code, the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System promulgated Parking and Traffic Regulations to regulate and control parking and traffic and the use of parking facilities, to provide for the issuance and use of parking permits, and to provide jurisdiction over violations of campus specific parking rules and regulations. This policy contains generalized information of parking and traffic for the University. Each campus has separate parking and traffic operations and therefore any person wishing to visit or park on either campus should visit the respective PD webpages for more information regarding specific parking and traffic regulations. This policy is applicable to any person who walks, drives, and/or parks a motor vehicle or bicycle on the campus of the University and the statutes of the State of Texas which govern pedestrians and the use of motor vehicles and bicycles.

The University is not responsible for fire, theft, damage to, or loss of vehicles parked or operated on campus. No bailment is created by granting of any parking or operating privileges regarding a vehicle on any property owned or controlled by the University.

Parking Permits

The University is a parking by permit only campus. All employees, students, and visitors are required to display a valid parking permit unless otherwise stated in campus specific regulations. Permits must be displayed correctly in accordance with said regulations. Classes of permits will vary based on campus location. Please visit the campus’ respective PD webpages for more information.

General Traffic Regulations

Any person who drives or parks a vehicle on the campuses are required to obey all traffic and parking regulations as outlined in this policy as well as those outlined in each campus’ parking and traffic rules and regulations. Any person who violates these rules and regulations will be subject to a citation and/or disciplinary action.

• The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call, when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section.
  • The driver of an emergency vehicle may:
    • Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of these regulations and Texas Motor Vehicle laws;
    • Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;
    • Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as life or property is not endangered; or
    • Disregard regulations governing direction of movement of traffic or turning in specified directions.
  • On special occasions and in emergencies, the Chief of Police may impose temporary parking and traffic control restrictions. These temporary restrictions will have all of the force of other written and approved regulations and will be subject to the same penalties.
• It will be a violation to commit any act prohibited by these regulations or to fail to do any required by these regulations.
• The operation of a vehicle will be restricted to the campus drives, streets, and parking lots.
• Vehicles operated or parked on the campus must comply with all State laws, County Ordinances, and the Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations of the University and each campus.
• The speed limit on roads and streets of the campus is 20 MPH and 10 MPH in parking lots unless otherwise stated.
• Posted signs, painted curbs and pavement markings, whether temporary or permanent, must be obeyed at all times.
• The drive of any vehicle involved in a collision will immediately stop at the scene of such accident or collision, and by the quickest means of communication, report such accident to the respective University Police Department.
• If a vehicle becomes inoperable, the driver of said vehicle will contact the respective University Police Department to render assistance or authorize temporary parking.
• No person will fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of any University Police Officer vested by law to direct, control, and regulate traffic.
• All vehicles operated or parked on the campus of the University will properly display a current parking permit issued by the University Police Department at all times, including but not limited to after 5:00 pm, weekends, holidays, closures, etc., unless otherwise stated in campus specific Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations.
• All vehicles are required to stop completely at each stop sign and then proceed cautiously and without creating a hazard to vehicles not required to stop.
• The operator of a vehicle will yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks
• Pedestrians will cross streets at designated marked pedestrian crosswalks.
• No driver of a vehicle will drive or park beyond a barricaded area or where prohibited by permanent or temporary signs; no operator or person will remove such barricades or signs.

Citations

• Issuance of citations will be at the discretion of the University Police Department in accordance with their individual Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations.
• All citations are recorded and documented through the University Police Department.
• The individual may, if capable, be notified by the University when a citation has been issued, either by physical copy placed on windshield, email, or both.
• Violation fines and citation appeals processes can be found in each campus’ Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations.

The UT Tyler Main Campus Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations can be found here under the “Parking and Traffic Information” tab.

Contact the UT Health Science Center Campus Police Department to access their Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations.