Parking Regulations

Campus area 

These regulations apply to all University property, including the entire Houghton campus, apartment housing, golf course, Mont Ripley, the Ford Center, the Advanced Technology Development Center, the Mineral Museum, the Keweenaw Research Center and ski trails.

Insurance

The University does not accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, any vehicle or the contents thereof. It is recommended that owners carry personal insurance to cover such losses.

Abandoned vehicles 

No vehicle is to be abandoned on campus. A fine, plus towing costs, will be imposed on the owner of record if abandonment occurs. Vehicles parked for forty-eight hours or more in prohibited areas will be considered abandoned.

Prohibited vehicles 

Hot rods, drag-strip racers, modified stock cars, or other unconventional vehicles (except bicycles, motor-driven cycles, or motorcycles) are not allowed on campus.

Vehicle maintenance 

All vehicles must be in good operating condition. No major repairs will be permitted on roads or in any parking areas on campus.

Speed limit 

The speed limit is fifteen miles per hour on all campus roads, unless otherwise posted.

Snowmobiles 

The University’s snowmobile parking areas are near the lakeshore snowmobile trail (at the east end of lot 34) for commuter students and Lot 10 for Residence Hall students. Michigan Tech prohibits operating snowmobiles on University property without the written consent of the Director of Transportation Services, except along the lakefront trail. A copy of the state law on snowmobiles is available at Transportation Services.

Note: Students living in campus housing should contact Transportation Services about the parking or storing of their snowmobiles. Please phone 487-1441.

Motorist Assistance 

Persons needing assistance dealing with vehicle problems can contact Transportation Services at 487-1441 for help. We provide assistance with flat tires, running out of gas and dead car batteries at no charge. For other problems, we can assist you in contacting the appropriate services depending on your needs.

Registration of vehicles and assignment of parking spaces

All persons who own and/or use motor vehicles on campus, including any type of motor-driven cycles, must register them online or at the Transportation Services office. A picture I.D. and current vehicle registration is required to obtain a parking permit decal or a temporary visitor permit.

Student parking permit decals are valid from September 1st through August 31st of each year. Faculty/Staff parking permit decals are valid from January 1st through December 31st of each year.

The Transportation Services office is open Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.

All parking decals or permits must be obtained immediately after bringing the motor vehicle to campus 

Decals must be applied permanently to the lower right-hand corner of the windshield (passenger side). It is the responsibility of the owner to insure that the decal or permit is legible at all times. On motorcycles, the decal must be displayed in plain view. Otherwise, the vehicle will be considered not registered. Temporary or visitor permits, obtainable from Transportation Services, must be displayed from the rear-view mirror.

Decals and permits 

The following regulations apply to University decals and permits:

1. All old decals or permits must be removed from the vehicle before registration is considered valid.  Students and Faculty can bring their vehicles to Husky Motors (Building #44 on the waterfront) to have old decals removed free of charge.  Tickets for non-compliance ($25) will be issued for failure to remove old decals/permits.
2. When relinquishing or disposing of a registered vehicle, the old decal or permit needs to be removed from the vehicle and returned to Transportation Services before a new parking permit decal can be issued. The decal replacement fee is $10.  
3. Reproducing or defacing a permit and/or decal in any way is prohibited.
4. Residents must park their vehicles in their assigned lot (see parking map for parking locations).
5. If it becomes necessary to use a temporary vehicle other than the one registered, students, faculty and staff are required to obtain a temporary parking permit from the Transportation Services office.

Vehicle Registration Fees 

Vehicle registration fees are being instituted for the entire University community in order to make the parking and snow removal operations financially self-sustainable. Everyone parking on University property must have an appropriate parking permit decal. Some individuals not desiring to park in the “core” parking lots on campus may opt for a “non-core” permit costing ten dollars ($10). “Non-core” permits allow individuals to only park in Lots 23 and 24 or in the metered spaces (for a fee and subject to ticketing if meter is expired). 

The registration fees will be prorated on a monthly basis for those individuals that come to the university mid-term.  If an individual leaves the university mid-term for any reason, they may receive a refund on the monthly pro-rata unused portion. To obtain a refund, you must  return all parking decals to Transportation Services.

Additional Permits 

Multiple vehicles may be registered by any individual. The second registration is discounted by 25%; a third registration is at the full rate.

Space utilization 

Vehicles should always be parked in such a manner that a minimum amount of space is used. Please park between the marked lines.

Obstructive parking 

No vehicles may obstruct the parking or removal of another vehicle.

Sidewalks and lawns 

Motor vehicles or motor-driven cycles may not be parked or driven on sidewalks, lawns, or running tracks without permission from the Director of Transportation Services. Bicycles are subject to the same restrictions, except that they may be ridden on campus sidewalks in accordance with the provisions of the Michigan Tech Traffic Ordinance.

Parking Enforcement 

Members of the University community may park only in their assigned parking lots as indicated by their vehicle registration decal or permit.

A valid faculty/staff parking permit decal is required to park in any faculty/staff lot, with or without gates, Monday through Friday between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM. This Applies Even If The Faculty/Staff Lot Gates Are Raised.

Winter overnight parking 

To allow for snow removal, parking is prohibited on campus between 2:00 am and 7:00 am, from November 1 through April 30, except as follows:

1. Occupants of campus housing may park in their designated lots.
2. Employees who work an assigned shift may park in an assigned overnight parking space.
3. Those needing to park on campus overnight may request Transportation Services for a special overnight parking permit. After 5pm on weekdays, holidays, or on weekends, contact Public Safety & Police Services for parking permission.

Campus housing parking 

Students residing in DHH, Wadsworth, and McNair are allowed to park in faculty/staff lots 7W, 15, and 16 between 5:00 PM and 2:00 AM only. Free one-half-hour parking passes (to load/unload) are available to residents at the hall reception desk.

Campus housing visitor parking 

Campus housing visitors must register at the reception desk and will be assigned to Lot 26 (SW section).

Theater parking  

Lots 5, 8, 9, 14, and the visitor lot by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (Building 13)  are open for theater parking during evening/weekend theater performances.

Parking lot gates 

The parking lot gates operate between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. After 4:00 pm, and on weekends and holidays, the gate arms are raised.

Parking Lot Assignments Are As Follows 

Residence Halls: Lots 4, 6, 7E, 10, 17, 21, and a designated section of 24.

Commuter Students: Lots 9, 26, and 32.

Graduate Students: Lots 5 and 34.

Faculty/Staff: Lots 1, 2, 3, 7W, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 25, 30, 31, 33.

Metered parking 

Metered parking is available to everyone for a fee of  25 cents for 20 minutes between 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.  Faculty and Staff may no longer park in metered spaces for free.

Meters that operate with either coin or CashKeys will be located along College Avenue by mid September. CashKeys will be available at the Transportation Services office in amounts of $25, $50, and $100. CashKeys allow parking in metered spaces for up to 8 hours at a rate of seventy five cents per hour ($.75/hour). CashKeys may only be used in hour increments. They may be purchased by both faculty/staff and students.

Snow removal  

Transportation Services will have notifications posted in the Residence Halls at least twenty-four hours in advance designating what lots are to be cleared. It is the responsibility of vehicle owners to be aware of these notices and move their vehicles accordingly.

Visitor parking 

University guests with a visitor permit may park in the areas designated on the map as Visitor Parking or in metered spaces. Lot 27 is also available for a fee of $4/day (cash or tokens). Tokens can be purchased at the Student Service Center in the Administration building.

SDC Lot 22 Parking 

Effective September 4, 2012, a 3-hour time limit for parking in SDC Lot 22 (at the main entrance to the SDC) will be enforced, and parking tickets will be issued to violating vehicles.

Fire hydrants 

It is illegal to park within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant.

Motorcycle, Moped, and Snowmobile parking 

All vehicles of this type must be registered. Motorcycles and Mopeds may park east of Lot 12, in lots 23 and 24, or in regular motor vehicle parking areas based on registration status. Residents may park Snowmobiles near Lot 10 and Commuters may park at the east end of lot 34. Questions regarding valid parking areas may be directed to Transportation Services at 7-1441.

Parking for persons with disabilities 

Designated parking spaces are available to anyone possessing a valid disability parking placard or license plate issued by the Secretary of State.

Parking assignments 

Students living in the Residence Halls receive parking assignments based on earned credit hours/application date. Assignments can be obtained at the Transportation Services office.

Bicycles 

Register bicycles at Public Safety and Police Services for free.

Campus emergency telephones are located under blue lights in a yellow box at many locations on campus. See the campus parking map for specific locations.

Enforcement 

Transportation Services enforces campus parking in coordination with Public Safety & Police Services. All Public Safety officers are state-certified police officers who are empowered to enforce the local ordinances and state laws.

Violations

The individual registering a vehicle with the University shall be held responsible for any parking violation committed. Vehicle owners will be held responsible in the event that their vehicle is not registered. The University reserves the right to restrict registration and withhold diplomas or transcripts if fines are not paid.

Payment of Fines

Moving traffic violations must be paid or appealed at the 97th District Court in Houghton within five days of issuance.

Parking violations must be paid online via Banweb or in the Student Services Center, first floor of the Administration Building within ten business days of issuance (not including holidays or weekends). Parking privileges will be suspended after a citation becomes 45 days past due. After a period of 60 days, unpaid fines may be sent to a collection agency.

Appeals Process 

The first step of the citation appeals process requires the submission of the Contested Citation Form to Transportation Services. The form can also be obtained at the Transportation Services office. If this appeal is denied by the issuing officer, it can be submitted to the Appeals Committee. If the Appeals Committee denies the appeal, it can be sent to the 97th District Court in Houghton. General questions regarding specific parking citations should be directed to Transportation Services.