North Seattle Community College

Why do I need a parking permit?

According to Washington Administrative Code (WAC) the Seattle Community College District (SCCD) is required to manage parking on campus property. SCCD is subject to the Washington State Transportation Management Act and the Commute Trip Reduction Act. These laws along with the North Seattle Community College (NSCC) master use plan require additional parking management programs. These programs include:

• Parking permit requirement
• Carpooling incentives
• Walker program benefits
• Bike commuter benefits
• Subsidized and reduced-rate Metro Transit passes

All this adds up to the parking permit requirement. All employees and registered students of the Seattle Community College District must have a valid parking permit displayed according to the requirement of Chapter 132F-116 WAC in order to park on campus. Parking permits are not required on weekends or holidays for students attending classes scheduled for weekends or holidays.

Where can I buy a parking permit?

Permits are available in the Cashier's Office. The permits vary in cost depending on the number of credits you are taking (students) or the number of hours you work (employees). If you are a Seattle Community College District employee you must purchase an employee permit even if you are registered as a student. Rates are set by the SCCD Board of Directors.

Daily permits are available. One-time-use-only permits are available in the Cashier's Office. You may also purchase daily permits in the vending machines located in the West Corliss lot. Vehicles displaying altered permits or permits not clearly marked are subject to citation and impound.

What happens if I get a parking citation?

If you get a citation you should bring it to the security office. Your first infraction will be dismissed as a warning if you bring the citation to Security. A citation for violation of the disabled permit requirement will not be reduced to a warning but may be appealed to the Director of Security.

Subsequent violations will be reduced by 50% if paid within 24 hours, or the next working day, if issued on a Friday or weekend.

Most, if not all vehicles cited on NSCC property are photographed. Copies of the citation, any officers notes, and the photograph are collected in determining the results of the appeal. The decision of the Director may be appealed to the Vice President of Administrative Services.

Can I appeal Transportation Coordinator's findings?

Students can appeal Transportation Coordinator's interpretation of the TMP guidelines by submitting their concern in writing to the District TMP coordinator, Melissa Coan at mcoan@sccd.ctc.edu.

What happens if I don't pay the fine?

Vehicles accumulating four or more unpaid citations may be impounded in place by a mechanical boot. An impound fee of $50 plus any outstanding parking fines must be paid before the vehicle will be released. The removal or attempted removal of an impounding device is a felony and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Additionally, citation accumulation may trigger a inquiry to the Washington State Department of Licensing. The registration information is matched to student and employee records. A hold may be placed on student records. A hold on student records means a student will not be allowed to register, get grades or receive transcripts. Employees and/or their supervisors are notified of the non-payment status of citations.

What do I do if I lose my parking permit?

Replacement permits are available at a prorated cost. Lost or stolen permits must be reported to Security. The replacement permit fee will be refunded if the lost or stolen permit is recovered. Any vehicle displaying a lost or stolen permit will be impounded.

Is there visitor parking available on campus?

The visitor lots are located on the west side of campus just off of College Way North between North 95th and North 97th Street entrances. Fees for visitor parking are posted in the parking lots. The visitor lot has a two hour limit.

Registered students, staff and faculty are not allowed to park in the visitor lots at any time and are subject to citation. Non-registered vehicles are also subject to citation.

What about disabled parking?

North Seattle Community College exceeds the ADA requirements for accessible parking. We have 36 spaces including six van-accessible parking spaces located throughout the campus lots and garages. Any vehicle displaying a valid state-issued disabled parking permit and a valid SCCD parking permit may park in any garage or exterior disabled parking space except, six disabled parking spaces in the visitor lots that are for use by visitors only.

What about parking at other campuses?

Each employee is eligible to purchase an employee parking permit for one or more campuses where he or she works. North and South campuses honor employee parking permits from all three campuses. Central campus honors only annual employee permits from North and South in addition to Central's permits. Sorry, students and student employees are not eligible.

What is the TMP/CTR?

The SCCD campuses have Transportation Management Program (TMP) agreements which are part of their master plans, and are required by the City of Seattle of all major institutions. The TMP seeks to reduce traffic and parking problems near each campus and requires the campuses to take specific steps to achieve these results.

Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) is also a city requirement in which employers with more than 100 employees must offer incentives to encourage employees to commute using modes of transportation other than the single occupant vehicle. These activities are considered part of the TMP programs.

Students registered for 10 or more credits are considered eligible for the TMP program and are charged a quarterly TMP/CTR fee. Students can combine regular credits with contract or distance learning credits to achieve the credits necessary to be eligible. Each quarter, eligible students can receive one of the following:

• GoPass
• $30 bus voucher
• Transit subsidy

Students enrolled in ABE, GED, ESL, Running Start, Middle College, and Career Link are not eligible for the TMP program and cannot self-select to pay the fee and participate.

Employees who work 50% or more, receive benefits, and pay the TMP fee are eligible for the TMP benefits. Employees purchasing a campus parking permit are required to pay the TMP fee. Part time employees at North, Central, and Siegal who work 50% or more, do not receive benefits, and do not purchase a parking permit can pay the TMP fee and purchase a GoPass if they do not purchase a parking permit.

The TMP is funded through the combination of TMP fees paid by students and employees, a portion of the income generated by the sale of parking permits, and the sale of transit media.

What about riding the bus?

A GoPass is a transit pass created for the Seattle Community College District (SCCD) that is accepted on both Metro and Sound Transit routes as well as the Sounder train.

Student GoPasses are available to be purchased by eligible students at a price that is less than the price at which the District purchases the pass. An eligible student is one who has paid the TMP fee, has not paid for a parking permit, and has not received a transit subsidy, or a bus voucher. Students who are not eligible for the discounted price can purchase the pass at the same price the District pays Metro for the pass.

Employee bus passes may be purchased via payroll deduction by permanent employees who must fill out an application with the Transportation Coordinator in Security. For application purposes, a permanent employee is defined as an employee who is eligible for all fringe benefits, including medical and vacation. All other (non-student) employees may choose between purchasing a parking permit or a GoPass for the current quarter, and must provide a quarterly transportation form to verify percentage of employment to the Cashiers. The quarterly transportation form is available at all departmental offices and the Security Office. More eligibility details are available from the Bus information page.

Transit Subsidies are available for both eligible students and employees who are not well served by a GoPass and do not purchase a campus parking permit. A student can receive $45/quarter and an employee can receive up to $58/month for using the ferry service as a walk-on passenger or a transit system other than Metro or Sound Transit.

What if I lose my GoPass?

Students reporting a lost GoPass during the first two weeks of the quarter can purchase a replacement GoPass at the price the District pays for the student GoPass, if they are available. Employees can have a lost GoPass replaced, if they are available, at a cost of $50.

Are there any incentives to carpool, bicycle, or walk?

Carpool permits are available at a discounted price for both students and employees. A carpool is defined as two or more individuals commuting together for at least 50% of the carpool's longest individual commute distance. Participants must be old enough to be eligible for a Washington State driver's license. Employees may carpool with a partner whose destination is away from the campus. Student carpoolers must have at least two of the registered carpoolers in the car when they arrive on campus. Carpool routes must meet a standard of reasonableness determined by the Transportation Coordinator.

Employee CTR walkers and bikers have access to Guaranteed Ride Home (see more info below) and the college's Zipcar account. Bicyclists may receive a bicycle registration sticker from Security that aids in identifying your bike in the case of theft or loss. Employee cyclists in the CTR program may gain access to campus showers.

As an NSCC employee, are there any other CTR/ TMP benefits?

The Home Free Guarantee benefit is available to employees participating in the CTR program. This benefit provides taxi service for employees who have taken the bus, carpooled, biked, or walked to work, and find themselves in an emergency medical situation that disrupts their normal commuting arrangements and was not reasonably foreseeable when they left home. In these situations the Transportation Coordinator can arrange a taxi company to provide limited taxi service for the employee as often as two times per calendar quarter. Sorry, this benefit is not available to students.

Employees on sabbatical leave can pay the TMP fee and purchase a GoPass. They are not eligible for subsidies.

NSCC is home to one Zipcar, a vehicle that may be rented for use by the hour. Zipcar college account access is available to employees who are participating in CTR, or who do not purchase parking and commute to campus in ways other than the single occupant vehicle. The college account covers employee use limited to 4 hours per working day. Personal Zipcar account applications are available at a discounted price for eligible employees. See the Transportation Coordinator in Security for more info and to apply.