Original Date: 6/11/1992 * Last Revision Effective: 6/1/2022
Policy Contact: Vice President, Administrative Services
Bellevue College Policy 6200 has been adopted as Chapter 132H-116 of the Washington Administrative Code.
WAC 132H-116-015 Purpose.
(1) Under RCW 28B.50.140(10) the board of trustees of Community College District VIII has the authority to establish rules and regulations for pedestrian and vehicular traffic over property owned, operated, or maintained by the college district.
(2) The objectives of these regulations are:
(a) To protect and control pedestrian and vehicular traffic on property owned, operated, or maintained by the college district.
(b) To ensure access at all times for emergency equipment.
(c) To minimize traffic disturbances.
(d) To facilitate the operation of the college by providing adequate access to vehicles.
(e) To allocate limited parking space for the most efficient use.
(f) To protect state property.
(3) If any provision of this chapter is adjudged by a court to be contrary to law, the remaining provisions shall continue to be in effect.
WAC 132H-116-025 Definitions.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms and definitions shall apply:
(1) Board: The board of trustees of Community College District VIII, state of Washington.
(2) Campus: Any and all real property, operated, controlled, or maintained by Bellevue College.
(3) Public safety office: Unit of the college accountable to the vice president of administrative services and responsible for campus security, public safety, emergency operations, parking and traffic control.
(4) Public safety officers: Employees of the college accountable to the vice president of administrative services and responsible for campus security, public safety, emergency operations, and parking and traffic control.
(5) Student: All persons taking courses at or through the college, whether on a full-time or part-time basis, and whether such courses are credit courses, noncredit courses, online courses, or otherwise. Persons who withdraw, graduate, or complete courses after the date of a reported violation, who are not officially enrolled for a particular term but who have a continuing relationship with the college, or who have been notified of their acceptance for admission are considered “students.”
(6) Faculty members: Any person employed by the college as an instructor, counselor, librarian, program or department chair, or in any other position for which the training, experience, or responsibilities are comparable as determined by the appointing authority.
(7) Staff: The administrative employees, classified members, and part-time staff employed by the college.
(8) Visitor(s): Person(s) who come on to campus as guest(s), or who lawfully visit the campus and are neither employees nor students of the institution.
(9) Pedestrian: A person who is not driving or otherwise occupying a vehicle.
(10) Permit: A properly displayed document, card, or sticker, issued by the public safety office, that authorizes a vehicle to park in designated areas on the campus. Parking permits may also be virtual in nature and identified by other means, such as a license plate.
(11) Carpool: Groups of two or more people, including faculty, staff, or students, who commute to the college in the same vehicle and who have obtained a carpool permit.
(12) Vehicle: Any motorized or electric automobile, truck, motorcycle or moped that requires a DMV license plate to be displayed.
(13) Foot propelled device: Wheeled devices including, but not limited to, bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, or roller blades that are designed or used for recreation and/or transportation purposes. Foot propelled devices may be supplemented by battery power.
(14) Idling: The running of an engine that supplies the motive power for a vehicle, when not for the purpose of moving the vehicle with the normal flow of traffic on a street or roadway.
WAC 132H-116-035 Parking permits and parking locations.
(1) The vice president of administrative services or designee is authorized to issue all parking permits.
(2) Parking permit fees shall be established, as appropriate, by the college’s board of trustees. Once fees have been established and approved the college president may adjust the fees. For represented employees, fees will be in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
(3) No person shall park, or leave any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, on the campus of Bellevue College without a valid Bellevue College permit, a valid disability placard or license plate, or a government agency license plate.
(4) Permits issued by the public safety office shall be displayed in accordance with the instructions issued with the permit. Permits not displayed in accordance with the instructions issued with the permit are invalid. Vehicles that fail to display a permit in accordance with the instructions shall be subject to citation.
(5) Parking permit types: Bellevue College parking permits include current, temporary, or special permits and are valid for the date(s), times, and locations specified on the permits. Parking permits are required and lots are monitored 24 hours a day and seven days a week. All permits must be displayed according to the instructions on the permit or as described below. Bellevue College parking permits are issued by the public safety office or through authorized distribution points (e.g., a temporary parking permit kiosk). Permits include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Carpool permits: Faculty, staff, or students can apply for this permit through public safety. One permit will be issued for each carpool and may only be used among the registered members of the group. Carpool vehicles must also display or obtain a regular student or employee permit.
(b) Daily and hourly permits: Daily and hourly parking permits are available through the public safety office or through designated locations across campus.
(c) Employee permits: Parking permits for faculty and staff of Bellevue College. Registered volunteers are eligible for an employee permit.
(d) Discount student permits: Discounted student parking permits for students of Bellevue College that may be used in general parking lots.
(e) Guest permits: Temporary permits may be issued to guests of the college (including, but not limited to, guest speakers, job candidates, or visiting officials).
(f) Motorcycle permits: Issued by the public safety office for motorcycles.
(g) Special events: Temporary reserved parking for conferences, seminars, and other special events, can be reserved through the events office or public safety. Requests should be submitted by at least 10 business days in advance.
(h) Student permits: Parking permits for students of Bellevue College.
(6) Transfer of permits:
(a) With the exception of carpool permits, parking permits are not transferable. If a vehicle is sold or traded, the permit holder may retain their permit and use it on a different vehicle so long as they update their vehicle information with the public safety office.
(b) Permits may be reissued as authorized by the director of public safety.
(7) Parking permit refunds: In cases where a permit is no longer needed, employee or student permit holders may request a partial refund from public safety using the refund form on the public safety web page. Refund amounts will be based on the following:
(a) Parking permit fees will be refunded at 100 percent less five dollars when the refund form is received by the fifth instructional day of the quarter.
(b) Parking permit fees will be refunded at 50 percent when the refund form is received by the sixth instructional day through the 20th instructional day of the quarter.
(c) Parking permit fees will not be refunded when the refund form is received after the 20th instructional day of the quarter.
(d) The parking permit document, card, or sticker must be returned with the refund form when requesting a refund for it to be considered submitted. In the case of a virtual permit, the permit holder must notify public safety in writing using the refund form; however, no physical permit must accompany the form.
(8) A map of the designated parking lots/spaces on campus can be found on the college website and are also noted across campus with parking lot signs. When parking on campus, license plates must be clearly visible.
(9) Students, staff, faculty, and visitors may park on campus as follows:
(a) Student parking permits are valid only in areas designated for student parking, daily metered parking, and general parking.
(b) Staff/faculty parking permits are valid in the areas designated for employee parking, daily metered parking, and general parking.
(c) Visitors are subject to the parking regulations of Bellevue College and are required to have a valid temporary permit. Temporary parking permits are valid only in the area(s) designated in the temporary parking permit.
(10) Parking locations include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Disability parking spaces: Only vehicles displaying a valid state of Washington placard or license plate may park in designated disability spaces. Vehicles with disability placards or plates may park in any employee, student, metered, or general parking area on campus.
(b) Electric charging stations: A valid parking permit is required to park in electric vehicle charging spaces. Vehicles must be actively charging while parked in electric charging spaces.
(c) Electric and hybrid parking spaces: Parking for electric and hybrid vehicles only.
(d) Employee parking: Requires an employee permit. Bellevue College also provides 24-hour employee parking where employees may leave their vehicle overnight after notifying public safety.
(e) General parking: Available for use by all permit holders.
(f) Guest or special event parking: Guests may park in designated areas with either a guest or special event permit issued by the public safety office.
(g) Motorcycle parking: Motorcycles may park in employee or student lots in accordance with the permit type or areas designated for motorcycle parking.
(h) Reserved parking: Includes loading docks or other specially reserved areas (including, but not limited to, emergency response, college, or official visitor vehicles).
(i) Student parking: Requires a student permit (daily permits are allowed). Also includes limited weekday permits (including, but not limited to, Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday student permits).
(j) Visitors: Visitors may park in designated lots with the purchase of an hourly or daily permit.
(11) Parking within designated spaces:
(a) No vehicle shall be parked on the campus except in those areas set aside and designated as parking areas.
(b) No vehicle shall be parked so as to occupy any portion of more than one parking space as designated within the parking area. The fact that other vehicles may have been so parked as to require the vehicle parked to occupy a portion of more than one space shall not constitute an excuse for a violation of this section.
(c) No vehicle shall be parked at any time in campus roadways, fire lanes, bus zones, loading zones, service driveways, walkways, courtyards, or in the landscaping except emergency vehicles, college owned vehicles, and designated service vehicles.
(d) No recreational vehicle (RV), motorhome, or vehicle used as a temporary or permanent dwelling shall be parked on campus overnight.
WAC 132H-116-045 Traffic and parking regulations.
(1) The authority and powers conferred upon the vice president of administrative services or the director of public safety by these regulations may be delegated to other college employees.
(2) Parking shall be allocated by the vice president of administrative services consistent with the objectives of these regulations.
(3) The applicable parking and traffic rules and regulations for Bellevue College include:
(a) The motor vehicle and other traffic laws of the state of Washington, Title 46 RCW.
(b) The traffic code of the city of Bellevue.
(c) The Bellevue College parking and traffic regulations.
(d) In case of conflict among the provisions of the motor vehicle and other traffic laws of the state of Washington or the traffic code of the city of Bellevue and Bellevue College parking and traffic regulations, the provisions of the state of Washington motor vehicle laws shall govern.
(4) Regulatory signs, markings, barricades:
(a) The vice president of administrative services is authorized to erect signs, barricades, and other structures and to paint marks and other directions upon the streets and parking areas owned, operated, and maintained by the college.
(b) Drivers of vehicles shall obey the signs, barricades, structures, markings, and directions erected pursuant to this section. Drivers shall also comply with directions given to them by a campus public safety officer or other authorized college personnel controlling and regulating traffic or parking.
(c) No person without authorization from the vice president of administrative services shall move, deface, or in any other way change a sign, barricade, structure, marking or direction so placed, or previously placed, for the purpose of regulating traffic or parking.
(5) The regulations governing permits and parking within designated spaces shall not apply to the drivers of state-owned vehicles operated by Bellevue College in the performance of assigned functions.
(6) During special occasions that may cause additional and/or heavy traffic and during emergencies, the director of public safety is authorized to impose additional traffic and parking regulations to achieve the specified objectives of this chapter.
(7) The registered owner of the vehicle is responsible for their vehicle parked on campus. They shall be held responsible for all violations of these rules and regulations charged to that vehicle. However, the operator of a vehicle will not be relieved of responsibility for violating any rule or regulation of this chapter simply because they are not also the registered owner of the vehicle.
(8) Vehicles shall not exceed five miles per hour in parking lots, or 20 miles per hour on campus roads, or such lower speeds as may be reasonable and prudent based on the circumstances or as otherwise posted.
(9) No person driving or otherwise responsible for a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first:
(a) Effectively setting the brake and transmission to prevent movement of the vehicle.
(b) Stopping the engine, turning off the vehicle or otherwise rendering the vehicle immobile.
(10) Vehicles standing or stopped, whether idling or parked, are subject to the rules under RCW 46.61.570 and Bellevue College policies and procedures and may be subject to citation or impoundment in accordance with such rules. Engine idling is prohibited in no parking zones on campus. Outside of no parking zones, employees, students, and visitors are encouraged to avoid unnecessary idling in order to create a safer and cleaner campus.
(11) Pedestrian’s right of way:
(a) The operator of a vehicle shall yield right of way, slowing down or stopping, if need be, to so yield to any pedestrian, but no pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible or unsafe for the driver to yield.
(b) Whenever any vehicle slows or stops so as to yield to pedestrian traffic, the operator of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such a vehicle which has slowed or stopped to yield to pedestrian traffic.
(c) Where a sidewalk is provided, pedestrians shall proceed upon such sidewalk.
(12) Motorcycles and mopeds:
(a) Motorcycles and mopeds are subject to all traffic and parking rules and regulations controlling other vehicles.
(b) Motorcycles and mopeds must be parked in designated areas.
(c) Motorcycles and mopeds are not permitted on paths, sidewalks, or authorized bicycle or pedestrian areas or in buildings at any time.
(13) Foot propelled devices:
(a) Bicycles shall be secured in designated areas only. Unattended or improperly secured bicycles may be removed by public safety officers. Public safety patrol bicycles are exempt.
(b) No foot propelled devices shall be operated on or in campus walkways, corridors, courtyards, hallways or buildings unless their use is required as part of the educational process in an authorized program, with the exception of public safety patrol bicycles.
(14) The operator of any vehicle or foot propelled device involved in an accident on campus shall within 24 hours report such accident to the public safety office. This does not relieve any person so involved in an accident from their responsibility to file a state of Washington motor vehicle accident report.
(15) Any vehicle theft or theft from a vehicle that occurs on campus should be reported to the public safety office promptly.
(16) Except for college owned and/or operated vehicles, the college assumes no liability under any circumstances for vehicles on college properties.
WAC 132H-116-055 Disability parking.
Vehicles displaying a valid state of Washington disability parking placard or license plate may park in parking spaces or areas reserved for persons with physical disabilities pursuant to RCW 46.19.030.
WAC 132H-116-065 Enforcement.
(1) The vice president of administrative services is responsible for parking and traffic management on campus. The director of public safety has the authority to enforce all college parking and traffic rules and regulations and to delegate that authority.
(2) Parking rules and regulations will be enforceable throughout the calendar year on a 24-hour daily basis.
WAC 132H-116-075 Citations.
(1) Citations will be issued based on reasonable cause to believe that a violation of these rules and regulations has occurred. Citations are issued by affixing a copy of the citation on the vehicle.
(2) Grounds for the issuance of citations include, but are not limited to:
(a) No valid parking permit displayed or on record;
(b) Blocking or impeding traffic;
(c) Displaying an unauthorized/stolen/forged permit;
(d) Improperly displayed parking permit;
(e) Improper use of carpool permit;
(f) Parking a nonelectric/hybrid vehicle in an electric/hybrid space;
(g) Vehicles parked:
(i) In a disability space without a valid placard or license plate;
(ii) Over designated time limit;
(iii) In an area not designated for parking;
(iv) In an area not authorized;
(v) On or blocking a walkway;
(vi) In a marked no parking area;
(vii) In landscaping;
(viii) In a reserved area without a special permit;
(ix) In fire lane or impeding access to a fire hydrant;
(x) In two or more spaces;
(xi) In excess of 24 hours without prior approval.
(3) The college charges the following monetary fines for the following violations:
(a) Twenty-five dollar fine:
(i) No valid parking permit displayed or on record;
(ii) Improperly displayed parking permit;
(iii) Parked over designated time limit;
(iv) Parked in two or more spaces;
(v) Parked in excess of 24 hours without prior approval;
(vi) Parking a nonelectric/hybrid vehicle in an electric/hybrid space;
(vii) Parking in an electric/hybrid vehicle charging space while not actively charging.
(b) Fifty dollar fine:
(i) Blocking or impeding traffic;
(ii) Parked on or blocking a walkway;
(iii) Parked in an area not designated for parking;
(iv) Parked in an area not authorized;
(v) Parked in a marked no parking area;
(vi) Parked in landscaping;
(vii) Parked in a reserved area without a special permit;
(viii) Parked in a fire lane or impeding access to a fire hydrant;
(ix) Improper use of a carpool permit;
(x) Parked in a reserved area without a special permit.
(c) Sixty dollar fine: Displaying an unauthorized/stolen/forged permit.
(d) Two hundred fifty dollar fine: Parked in a disability space without a valid placard or license plate.
(4) The registered owner of the vehicle is responsible for all fees and fines associated with violations of the college’s parking rules and policies.
(5) Citations that are not appealed within 21 calendar days or paid within 21 calendar days may be subject to the following actions:
(a) Vehicle impoundment in accordance with WAC 132H-116-085;
(b) Denial of future parking privileges, whether student, employee, or visitors;
(c) Unpaid citations may be sent to a collections agency.
(6) An accumulation of citations that are not responded to and resolved, by payment or appeal, by a student or college employee may be cause for disciplinary action. Students in violation may be referred to the student conduct officer for disciplinary action. Employees in violation may be referred to human resources for disciplinary action. For represented employees, disciplinary action will be in accordance with applicable CBAs.
(7) Parking permits are the property of the college, and may be denied or revoked by the public safety director for any of the following reasons:
(a) When the purpose for which the permit was issued changes or no longer exists;
(b) When a permit is used by an unregistered vehicle or by an unauthorized person;
(c) Continued violations of parking regulations;
(d) Counterfeiting or altering a permit;
(e) Falsification on a parking permit application;
(f) Failure to comply with a final decision of the citation review committee or appeal authority.
(8) Vehicles displaying revoked permits will be subject to citation.
WAC 132H-116-085 Impoundment.
(1) In addition to imposing fines, the vice president of administrative services and the director of public safety are authorized to impound a vehicle parked on college property on the following grounds:
(a) Creating a safety hazard.
(b) Leaving a vehicle running and unattended.
(c) Vehicles parked in excess of 72 consecutive hours without prior approval from the public safety office are considered abandoned or unattended and are subject to impoundment at the registered owner’s risk and expense. No vehicle, other than college owned or leased vehicles, shall be parked on college property in excess of 24 hours without prior documented approval from the public safety office. Vehicles parked on campus in excess of 24 hours, without prior documented approval from the public safety office, are subject to citation. Once a vehicle has accumulated three consecutive citations, public safety will place one impound warning on a vehicle. After 24 hours have passed since an impound warning was placed on a vehicle it may be towed.
(d) Parking:
(i) In a marked “tow away” or “no parking” zone.
(ii) Without a valid disability permit or license plate in a space reserved for persons with physical disabilities.
(iii) Anywhere other than a designated parking area.
(e) Vehicles impeding access to:
(i) A roadway so as to impede the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic;
(ii) A walkway so as to impede the flow of pedestrian traffic;
(iii) A fire lane or impeding access to a fire hydrant including parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant; or
(iv) The use of another legally parked vehicle.
(f) Accumulation of unpaid citations: An individual who accumulates four or more unpaid citations, after the deadline issued on the citations or after any appeal, is subject to having their vehicle impounded.
(2) Vehicles shall be impounded subject to the following terms and conditions:
(a) The expenses of impoundment and storage shall be charged to the registered owner of the vehicle and must be paid prior to the vehicle’s release.
(b) The college shall not be liable for loss or damage of any kind resulting from the impound or storage of an impounded vehicle.
(c) Impoundment of a vehicle does not remove the obligation to pay any fines associated with the violation.
WAC 132H-116-095 Appeals.
(1) Appeals of fines and penalties:
(a) Anyone who receives a citation for an alleged violation of these parking and traffic rules has the right to appeal.
(b) Appeals must be submitted within 21 calendar days from the date the citation is issued. Appeals are to be submitted in writing through the online form on the public safety website. A person who fails to file a written appeal in conformance with these rules shall be deemed to have waived the right to appeal.
(c) If an individual is in possession of an ADA placard that was not visibly present on the vehicle while parking in an ADA space their citation will be automatically waived, if they can provide documentation to public safety that the placard is registered to them.
(d) Grounds for parking citation appeals include, but are not limited to, the following:
(i) Incomplete or incorrect citation;
(ii) Received citation within 20 minutes of paying for parking;
(iii) Financial hardship.
(2) Citation review committee:
(a) Appeals shall be considered by the Bellevue College citation review committee in a brief adjudicative proceeding pursuant to procedures set forth in chapter 132H-108 WAC. The citation review committee may uphold, reduce, or waive the fine(s) associated with the parking and traffic citation.
(b) Any fine(s) still levied against the appellant must be paid within the specified deadline in the committee’s initial order, unless the appellant seeks review of the committee’s initial order.
(c) Nonpayment after the deadline has passed may result in any of the college actions referred to under WAC 132H-116-075 and 132H-116-085.
(d) The committee is made up of one student, one faculty representative and one classified staff representative. An exempt employee may substitute for a classified staff or faculty member for no longer than 120 days while an appropriate classified staff or faculty member can be identified. The committee members are appointed by the vice president of administrative services upon consultation with representative groups. The assistant director of public safety will serve as the nonvoting presiding officer of the committee. A public safety representative will serve as a nonvoting advisor and provide administrative support to the committee.
(e) The citation review committee will hold regularly scheduled meetings throughout the academic year.
(f) The committee shall consider each appeal on its merits based upon the parking and traffic regulations.
(g) Appellants may request to present their case to the appeals committee. In such case, an appellant will be notified of the hearing date and location via the email address they provided in their appeal. Hearings may be held virtually. If an appellant does not request to present their appeal or does not appear at the hearing, the committee will make a decision in the appellant’s absence and consider the written appeal during its deliberations.
(h) The committee will issue an initial order containing a brief statement with the reasons for its decision within 10 calendar days after the hearing. Decisions will be communicated by email and first-class mail. Any fine(s) levied against the appellant in the initial order must be paid within 21 calendar days after the committee has issued a decision and mailed its initial order, unless the appellant seeks review of the initial order.
(i) Default decision: If the committee, without a showing of good cause, fails to conduct a hearing on an appeal within 60 days of receiving the notice of appeal, the fine shall automatically be considered waived.
(3) Review of initial order: An appellant who is not satisfied with the initial order has the right to seek review by the director of public safety. The appellant must submit their appeal using the online appeal form. An appeal from the initial order must be submitted within 21 calendar days of receiving the initial order. The director of public safety will issue a final order containing a written explanation of their decision within 10 calendar days after receiving the request for review. The director of public safety’s decision constitutes final agency action and may be judicially appealed pursuant to the procedures set forth in chapter 34.05 RCW.
(4) Any appellant who has paid the fine(s) affirmed or set by the citation review committee has forfeited the right to an appeal.
(5) Right to appeal revocation: As established by WAC 132H-108-450(4), parking permit denials or revocations may be appealed to the vice president of administrative services. Appeals are to be submitted in writing through the online form on the public safety website.
Relevant Laws and Other Resources
- The motor vehicle and other traffic laws of the state of Washington
- WAC 132H-116 Parking and Traffic Rules
- Bellevue College Policy 4850 Commute Trip Reduction Program
Revision History
Original 6/11/1992
Revisions 1/11/2004; 5/10/2005; 5/21/2009; 11/30/2011; 5/13/2015; 6/1/2022
Approved By
All College Council
Board of Trustees
President’s Cabinet
Last Updated January 11, 2023