Campus Safety Vehicle Regulations

Westmont College has established a set of vehicle regulations under the authority of the California Vehicle Code (section 21113) to maintain the safe and orderly operation of vehicles on the campus and to comply with the Conditional Use Permit issued by the County of Santa Barbara. These regulations apply to all vehicles operated on the Westmont campus and properties under its control. Campus Safety has been authorized to administer these traffic regulations for the College.

The term “motor vehicle” and “vehicle” are defined as any vehicle that uses fuel as a propellant. Mopeds are considered motor-driven cycles and are subject to these regulations.

Section 1 - Statement of Policy

1. The California Vehicle Code and Westmont College regulations are in effect on College properties. They are applicable to all students, employees, visitors, and guests of the College.
2. All vehicles parked or operated on College property must be registered, licensed, and insured in accordance with California law. Proof of insurance must be presented upon request.
3. Westmont neither warrants the safety of vehicles nor assumes the responsibility for loss due to theft, vandalism, accident, or damage while they are on College property.
4. The issuance of Westmont parking permits confirms the privilege of parking and driving a vehicle on campus. Students are not allowed to park motor vehicles on the campus or in the “vicinity of the College” as defined in Section 6 number 1″ without a College parking permit. Parking is defined as an unattended vehicle.
5. Violation of these regulations may lead to fines, loss of future permit privileges, disciplinary sanctions, vehicle immobilization, and/or towing of the vehicle at the “owners expense”.

Section 2 - Vehicle Registration and Enforcement

1. All vehicles operated on campus must be registered with the College. Employees and students obtain a Westmont parking permit or temporary parking pass. Visitors receive a written notification on the windshield which serves as a temporary parking pass. Faculty and staff request parking permit stickers via this form.
2. The person operating or registering a vehicle will be held responsible for all violations, and corresponding fines or sanctions, related to that vehicle.
3. Temporary parking passes for campus guests and visitors are issued by the traffic enforcement officers and are also available from the Housing Office.
4. The number of parking permits issued is limited to take into account campus parking capacity and to insure compliance with the Conditional Use Permit limitations imposed on Cold Spring Road traffic.

5. Westmont upholds its agreement with the County of Santa Barbara to rigorously enforce the requirement for employees and students to display a valid permit on any vehicle operated on campus. First year students are not eligible to receive parking permits. Employees and students operating vehicles found in violation of these permit regulations are subject to $50 fines for each occurrence, loss of future permit privileges, disciplinary sanctions, vehicle immobilization, and/or towing of the vehicle at the “owners expense”.

Section 3 - Parking Regulations and Enforcement

1. No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle attended or unattended in any of the following places:

Sidewalks, lawns, or landscaped areas.
Obstructing the passageway, walkway, or doorway to any building.
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
Areas posted no parking.
Areas with a painted red curb.
Handicapped zone marked with blue sign unless vehicle has a State issued handicapped license plate.
Areas not clearly identified as a parking stall.

2. Student parking is not permitted in stalls marked for employee parking.
3. Student parking in the Kerr Student Center lot is not permitted Monday-Friday from 7:30am-2:30pm.
4 . Parking violation fines on campus are $25.

Section 4 - Traffic Regulations and Enforcement

1. Campus stop signs must be obeyed.

2. Pedestrians have the right-of-way whether or not they are in a crosswalk.

3. The speed limit on campus is 15 MPH. The basic speed law of “no faster than safe” could mean the effective limit is under 15 MPH in some cases.

4. Vehicles may not be operated on footpaths, sidewalks, or landscaped areas.

5. Moving violation fines on campus are $25.

Section 5 - Mopeds and Motor Driven Cycles

1. The California Vehicle Code has laws that directly impact moped and motor driven cycles regardless of the engine size. Operators of motorcycles and mopeds larger than 15 horsepower must have a M1 driver’s license. Operators of motorcycles, mopeds, and motor driven cycles of any size less than 15 horsepower must have a M2 drivers license. An operator under 21 years of age must go to traffic safety school in order to obtain either of these licenses.
2. All operators and passengers of motorcycles, mopeds, and motor driven cycles are required to wear a helmet when riding these vehicles.

Section 6 - Neighborhood Relationships and Radar Enforcement

1. The Westmont College Conditional Use Permit prohibits students from parking on the public streets in the vicinity of the campus except at their place of residence while physically present on the campus. The vicinity of Westmont is defined as follows: Cold Spring Road, La Paz Road, Chelham Way, Stoddard Lane, Paso Robles Lane, Westmont Road, Circle Drive, Dawlish Place, Cloydon Circle, Sycamore Canyon between Cold Spring and Westmont Road, Mountain Drive above the Campus, Montecito Covenant Church parking lot, and Cold Spring School parking lot. Also students may not park on Coast Village Road, Coast Village Circle, Hermosillo Drive, or Butterfly Lane. These citations are considered parking permit violations and are subject to penalties described in section 2number 5of these regulations.
2. Employees and students are expected to drive no faster than the 35 MPH speed limit on Cold Spring Road. Westmont considers this to be a community behavioral expectation. Those who violate this expectation are subject to $50 fines for each occurrence. These citations are subject to penalties described in section 2number 5of these regulations.

Section 7 - Vehicle Maintenance

1. All vehicles operated on campus must be in a safe mechanical condition including, but not limited to, properly functioning mufflers, smog devices, and fuel tanks.

2. No one shall initiate major repairs of a vehicle on the campus without first obtaining the written permission of the Director of the Physical Plant.

3. Littering is prohibited on campus. Oil changing and other automotive repairs may only be performed at a designated environmentally-safe location at Physical Plant.

Section 8 - Payment of Fines and Appeals

Parking violations are issued at the time of the violation and are posted on the vehicles. Moving violations are sent to the registered owners of the vehicles through campus mail.
Traffic and parking fines for students are payable at the Business Office during the normal business hours. Student fines are posted to individual accounts and are subject to late charges after 30 days. A confirming email will be sent at the time the charge is posted to the account. Employee traffic and parking fines are payable at the physical plant office during normal business hours. Employees will receive a confirming email notification of the charge.
If you have received a citation in error, you may submit an appeal by responding to the email notification you received. Choosing to bring your car to campus because circumstances made it very inconvenient to keep it off campus is not a valid basis for an appeal. It is not possible to approve such appeals and uphold the College’s commitment to the County of Santa Barbara. You must reply within seven days of the notification.