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​​​​​​Overview

The University at Albany has designated parking lots for students, employees, and visitors as well as spaces for community members.

 

overview

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

UAlbany has five electric vehicle charging stations on its campuses.

Uptown Campus

Downtown Campus

  • Thurlow Terrace parking lot on Western Avenue (operated by ChargePoint)

To ensure others can properly charge their vehicles, you may not park at a charging station for more than four total hours on any given day. Failure to comply may result in a parking citation.

 

charging

Parking Policies

These rules are set by the University President, in consultation with the University Council and/or the SUNY Board of Trustees, when appropriate. Compliance with parking regulations is encouraged by fair and consistent enforcement.
 

policies
Parking Enforcement

Parking permit regulations are enforced from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Friday.

Other parking violations — including, but not limited to, parking in fire lanes, travel lanes and accessible spaces, parking in front of fire hydrants, or parking on the grass — are enforced 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Overnight parking is not allowed in any visitors’ lot, metered parking space or any parking lot where signage indicates no overnight parking. That includes the SEFCU Arena, University Administration Building and Management Services Center parking lots.

The University is under no obligation to mark all areas where parking is prohibited. It is the responsibility of the vehicle operator to park in accordance with the regulations. Lack of signage does not imply lack of enforcement.

All parking patrons park their vehicles on-campus at their own risk. The University is not responsible for the theft of any vehicle, its contents, or any damage sustained by a vehicle parked on campus property.

Immobilizations

If you owe $100 or more in fines, an immobilization device may be attached to your vehicle.

The owner or registrant of an immobilized vehicle has 72 hours to contact the Office of Parking and Mass Transit Services, settle their fines and pay the removal fee of $100 to have the device removed.

After 72 hours, the University reserves the right to tow the vehicle from campus at the expense of the vehicle's owner or registrant.

The immobilization policy is designed to provide vehicle owners or registrants the chance to avoid the cost and inconvenience of having their vehicle towed from campus for excessive parking violations.

Citations issued for towing charges are not eligible for appeal.

Abandoned, Unsafe, or Inoperable Vehicles

Any vehicle on University property that is abandoned, unsafe, inoperable, or under repair will be ticketed as “unsafe” and must be removed immediately from campus.

These vehicles can also be towed off campus at any time at the expense of the owner or registrant.

Unsafe vehicles are those that present a clear and present danger or are threat to life, safety, or the environment. For example, a vehicle that is leaking gas, oil, or anti-freeze.

Vehicles without a valid state or province vehicle registration are considered abandoned. These vehicles will be ticketed as “abandoned” and towed from campus at the expense of the owner or registrant.

Citations issued for towing charges are not eligible for appeal.

Snow Emergencies

The University may declare a snow emergency if accumulation impedes emergency vehicles’ access and/or access for individuals who need to park in authorized areas, or when snow removal operations are necessary for the general health and safety of our campus community.

Snow emergencies and where to park are announced on the University website, on the Parking & Mass Transit Alerts webpage and via UAlbany Alerts.

Visit the Office of Facilities Management website for University’s Snow and Ice Response Guide and Snow Emergency Parking Plan.

Parking Citations

To maintain safety, no one can park a vehicle so that it interferes with the use of a fire hydrant, fire lane or other emergency zone, creates any other hazard or unreasonably interferes with the free and proper use of a roadway or pedestrian way. Special parking restrictions imposed during emergencies, including snow emergencies, must be followed.
 

violations
Receiving a Citation

The person who was issued the parking permit is responsible for any parking violations issued to their vehicle and/or vehicles belonging to family members. It is your responsibility to know and follow University parking rules and regulations, and to inform your family of these policies.

All citations issued for a violation will record the vehicle’s description and licensing information, the time the ticket was issued, the parking decal and fee tag numbers, and the badge number of the citing officer or parking attendant.

Citations will also note location of violation and specific offense(s), with the corresponding fine(s). As a courtesy, vehicles remaining illegally parked in the same parking space will not be held responsible for more than one ticket per calendar day.

All citations must note an administrative violation, a parking violation, or both and be placed on the vehicle.

A vehicle’s parking registration may be revoked for the rest of the academic year if cited seven times in one academic year.

Appealing a Citation

The Appeal Board consists of faculty, staff, and students and is independent from the Office of Parking and Mass Transit Services. 

Appeals must be submitted within 14 calendars days of the citation.

Tow charges, as well as any citations that have been altered, stolen, or forged, are not eligible for appeal.

Students and employees can appeal a parking citation on MyUAlbany. A decision will be sent to your albany.edu email. Decisions are generally made within three to four weeks.

All other drivers can appeal a parking citation by sending a completed Appeal Form to [email protected]. A decision will be mailed to the vehicle's registered owner via the U.S. Postal Service.

Decisions are generally made within three to four weeks.

If the first appeal decision is unfavorable, you may request a hearing by contacting the Appeal Board at 518-442-5766.

The board may hear or receive any testimony or evidence that is directly relevant and material to the issues presented at a hearing. All decisions rendered by the Appeal Board are final.

Failure to appear at a scheduled hearing for a second appeal, without notifying the board in advance, is equivalent to pleading guilty. No further hearings will be scheduled and all associated fines will be imposed.

Students have 14 calendar days to respond to a citation before a hold is placed on their student account. A pending second appeal does not remove a hold or suspend a late charge.

Late charges added 14 days after the first appeal is denied or 30 days from the date the citation was issued, whichever is longer.

The following reasons are not sufficient grounds for appealing a parking citation:

  • Being late or in a hurry

  • Picking or dropping someone or something off

  • Preferred parking lot is full or too far away

  • Inclement weather

  • Others parked in the same way didn’t receive tickets

  • Four-way hazard lights were on

  • Amount of time the vehicle was parked

  • Forgetting to purchase, renew, or display a valid parking permit

Paying a Fine

You can pay a parking-related fine in one of four ways:

  • Via our Online Payment Center

  • Inside our office during business hours (You may use the 15-minute parking spaces outside our building, located at the corner of Tricentennial Drive and University Drive West.)

  • Over the phone (518-442-3121) during business hours

  • Via posted mail (University at Albany, Parking & Mass Transit Services, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222)

If you are paying by check, please make it out to “University at Albany” and include the ticket number(s) on the check. Checks of $110 or more cannot be accepted.

If full payment or an appeal is not submitted within 14 calendar days of the citation being issued, this will be considered an admission of liability.

Citations can be paid while under appeal; however, payment won’t affect the appeal outcome. If the appeal is accepted, the payment will be refunded via check within six to eight weeks.

Late charges will be added 14 days after the first appeal is denied or 30 days from the date the citation was issued, whichever is longer.
 

Citation Fine Late Fee
Altered or forged decal $150 or more $100 immobilization fee
Accessible space $100 $10
No permit $50 $10
Expired permit or decal $50 $10
Expired meter $30 $10
Restricted $30 $10
No parking $30 $10
Other $30 $10
Decal not displayed or improperly displayed $20 None


Unpaid parking fines are referred to the New York State Attorney General's Office or a collection agency for collection.

State Finance Law §18 allows state agencies or their representatives to charge collection fees to cover the estimated costs of processing, handling and collecting delinquent debts. The amount can be as much as 22% of the outstanding debt.

Students who fail to pay parking fines will have their transcripts, registration or diplomas withheld, as per the Board of Trustees Resolution 76-137, as promulgated in Section 301.2(5) of Title 8 of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York. Payment of all outstanding fines is required to remove a hold from a student account.

Unionized employees who fail to pay parking fines may be subject to payroll deduction, per Title 8 of the Regulations of the State University of New York, Part 561.