Williams College Vehicle Regulations

The College does not encourage possession of a motor vehicle or consider it a necessity in any way.  It does, however, permit students, with the exception of first-year students, to bring motor vehicles to the campus subject to the following regulations which are in effect at all times, including summer vacations and all College recesses and holidays.

The issuance of a permit to operate a motor vehicle while at Williams is a privilege that may be revoked at any time for any infraction of the motor vehicle regulations.  The Associate Director of Campus Safety & Security administers these regulations.  Vehicles must be operated in accordance with state and local laws.  Serious or continued violations will result in the suspension of driving privileges.  Students whose motor vehicle permits have been suspended will be required to remove their vehicles from the campus.  Any student who switches parking decals with another student, alters or sells their parking decal to a student will permanently lose their ability to register a vehicle while a student at Williams College and may also be subject to disciplinary action.

Williams College is not liable for any loss or damage to vehicles.  Students who make use of their own vehicles on College business do so at their own risk, and they should be aware that the College's liability insurance will not protect them in the event of an accident even when they are being reimbursed or hired by Williams.

Accidents

Drivers involved in an accident should:

1. Immediately secure care for injuries.
2. Notify the police.
3. Remain at the scene of the accident.
4. Notify the Dean's Office and the Campus Safety & Security Office if the accident is major or personal injury is serious.

It is a state law that seat belts must be worn while operating a motor vehicle and approved helmets must be worn when riding motorcycles.

Bicycle Registration

By Town ordinance all bicycles must be registered with the Williamstown Police Department.  The Campus Safety & Security Department provides this service.  There is a 25 cent fee.

First-Year Students' Use of Personal Motor Vehicles

Williams College does not allow first-year students to park or operate a motor vehicle on any college owned property, at any time during the academic year, nor does it recognize any agreement between upper-class students and the parents or member of the first-year class in any vehicle lease contracts.  These prohibitions are necessary because of a lack of parking facilities.  First-year students are allowed to operate college-owned vehicles when authorized to do so by a student organization or a college department.  Arrangements must be made through Campus Life or the authorizing College department and Facilities.

First year violations are a minimum of $50.00, no warnings.  If a first-year student receives five or more violations they will lose their privilege of registering a vehicle on-campus during their sophomore year.  Each ticket issued after five violations will be $125.00.

Visitor Parking

Visitors to campus must register their vehicles with the Campus Safety & Security Department, located in the basement of Hopkins Hall. Visitor parking tags can be obtained 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are valid for 3 days only. Visitor parking is located in the lower Stetson Lot.

Pre-registration

All students that are eligible to have a vehicle on campus for the next academic year will be able to access a pre-registration form.

All vehicles (including motorcycles and mopeds) arriving in Williamstown during the fall semester will be registered at the regular academic year rate of $120 per year.  Rebates will be considered upon later application.

Temporary parking permits will be issued only in the circumstances deemed appropriate.  A fee of $4 per week will be assessed.  Temporary permits cannot exceed a four-week period.

Proceeds from all fees are placed in the general fund and used by the college for parking lot maintenance and related expenses.

Motor Vehicle Regulations

Parking Agreement

The Cardinal Rule of Parking - During the work day, Monday through Friday the only place students can legally park on Williams College property is in their assigned lots, all other areas are restricted! At no time are students permitted to park in another student lot.

Seasonal Parking – Students will be granted additional access to faculty/staff parking areas on a seasonal basis.

April 15 – November 15

1. Students may park in faculty/staff spaces between the hours of 5:00 PM and 5:00 AM, Monday through Friday nights.

2. Students may park in faculty/staff spaces between the hours of 9:00AM and 5:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday, except Lawrence Hall Drive where students may park between the hours of 6:00pm and 5:00am, seven days a week.

3. Students may park in the lot between Facilties and the Towne Field House as early as 3:30pm on weekdays and 9:00am on weekends, no overnight parking allowed. All vehicles must be removed prior to the 5:00am deadline.

November 16 – April 14 th SNOW SEASON

1. Students may park in faculty/staff spaces between the hours of 5:00PM and 2:00 AM, Monday through Friday nights.

2. Students may park in faculty/staff spaces between the hours of 9:00AM and 2:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday, except Lawrence Hall Drive where students may park between the hours of 6:00pm and 2:00am, seven days a week.

3. Students may park in the lot between Facilities and the Towne Field House as early as 3:30pm on weekdays and 9:00am on weekends, no overnight parking allowed. All vehicle must be removed prior to the 2:00am deadline.

Off-campus and commuting students may park in the St. Patrick's Church lot at the rear of the church on Southworth St.  There is no overnight or weekend parking in St. Patrick's church lot. All vehicles left on campus during Spring Break must be parked in the Mission Park lot so as to facilitate the sweeping of all paved areas.  Students failing to move their vehicle to Mission Park lot for Spring Break will be ticketed for parking in a restricted area and will be towed.

General Vehicle Regulations – Because of limited parking facilities, the use of motor vehicles on campus by students must be kept to a minimum and parking regulations must be strictly observed.  All student vehicles, on or off campus, must be registered with Campus Safety & Security. This must be done upon arrival in Williamstown (see section 3, chapter 90, General Laws of Massachusetts).  To complete this process the following documents will be needed: registration certificate for the vehicle, evidence of liability coverage for any authorized operator of the vehicle. The on-line vehicle registration form may be accessed at http://www.williams.edu/admin/security/rules/vehicle/registration.php

• The owner or person in charge of a motor vehicle is responsible for all violations involving his or her vehicle.
• Chapin Hall Drive, Hopkins Hall Drive and AMT Drive are ONE WAY ONLY streets, north from Main Street.
• Vehicles may not operate on campus in excess of 19 miles per hour and in many locations the speed should be much lower.
• All vehicles must be registered and appropriate decals/hangtags must be displayed.
• Any student who exchanges parking decals with another student, alters ,sells or gives away their parking decal to another student will permanently lose their ability to register a vehicle while a student at Williams College and may also be subject to disciplinary action.
• A Williams College parking decal must be displayed in the right lower corner of the rear window.
• The parking rules and regulations are in effect 365 days a year
• Congregational Church Lot – no student parking at any time, this includes the faculty/staff section
• Hopkins Hall Drive – no student parking at any time, this includes the temporary spaces
• Parking Garage – no student parking, this includes all of the faculty/staff spaces
• Temporary Spaces – no student parking unless specifically designated on the sign
• Town Street- check for time limits, no overnight parking which is enforced year round
• Service/Security spaces – no student parking at any time Williams Inn
• no student parking unless a patron/registered guest Jesup Parking Lot
• no student parking at any time in the west bay closest to Physics Penalties
• All rules are strictly enforced.  We do, however, give every owner/person in charge of a motor vehicle two warnings a year for non-major offenses ($50 violation).

Violations are assessed as follows:

An immobilizing device may be placed on unregistered or unidentified vehicles found repeatedly parked illegally on campus.  It will be necessary for the person responsible for the vehicle to report to the Campus Safety & Security Department before the apparatus is removed.  There will be a $201.00 fee assessed to remove the boot and the total fine must be either paid in full or placed on a term bill. Repeated offenses beyond the tenth are $201.00 each and may result in towing and/or disciplinary action.  The suspension issued on the tenth ticket will be for the remainder of the current academic year.  However, if a student receives five suspended tickets the suspension will be extended to the next academic year. Tickets will be placed on vehicles that are illegally parked or in violation of a rule or regulation.  Students will be notified about the fine totals and should make payment at the Cashier's Office in Hopkins Hall. All unpaid violations will be placed on a term bill for payment. Ticket appeals will all be made in writing within 30 days (no exceptions) of the date of the ticket and will only be accepted if the citation is attached (no exceptions).  Forms are available at the Campus Safety & Security Department in the basement of Hopkins Hall.  The Ticket Appeals Committee will decide the merits of all individual ticket appeals.  The Ticket Appeals Committee has three voting members representing the faculty, staff and students.  The Committee’s decision is final.

Use Of College Vehicles

Student organizations with account numbers may use College vehicles according to the following priority:

1. athletics
2. administrative offices
3. academic offices
4. student organizations

Overnight trips are not permitted except in connection with officially sponsored events.  College vehicles are not available for personal use.  Unsafe, prohibited, or inappropriate use of college vehicles may result in the loss of driving privileges.