Vehicle & Parking Information

The Campus Safety Department is responsible for the registration of motor vehicles that park on College property, for the issuing of parking permits, and for the enforcement of parking regulations. The Business Office is responsible for the collection of parking fines. "Motor vehicle" refers to any motorized conveyance as described by the Vehicles Law of Illinois. The term includes cars, trucks, campers, motorcycles, and motor scooters.

The College cannot be responsible for the safety or protection of motor vehicles, or their contents, while parked on College property or on city streets.

The Parking Privilege

The parking system is designed to administer and protect the parking privileges of duly registered permittees. Eligibility is restricted to faculty, students, staff, and sponsored visitors.

Vehicles not displaying a valid parking permit or decal are subject to towing at all times unless special arrangements have been made with Campus Safety.

While the parking privilege for permittees can be protected (through enforcement of rules), it cannot be guaranteed. The College reserves the right to suspend parking privileges for cause at any time.

From time to time, special meetings and situations may demand use of certain College parking lots or spaces; i.e., meetings of the Trustees, Commencement, construction, snow removal, etc. Notice of such events will be given whenever possible to reduce inconvenience to regular users of such lots.

By signing an application for parking (or acknowledging acceptance via Web site), each person who applies for parking privileges agrees that neither Knox College nor any of its officers or employees is responsible for injury to persons nor for the theft of, or damage to, vehicles or their contents, while parked on College property. Each person agrees to follow the parking regulations of Knox College when utilizing the parking available on campus.

Vehicles must be operated in a prudent manner relative to conditions of the road or lot, weather, time of day, etc., while on College property. Responsibility for any liability resulting from the location or operation of a motor vehicle on College property rests with the operator or owner and not with the College. The person who registers a vehicle is responsible for assuring that the vehicle, regardless of who drives it, is driven and parked in accordance with these regulations.

Parking Permits

All persons who wish to park a motor vehicle on College property must complete a parking application or verification form and return it to Campus Safety. Forms are available at Campus Safety or online. Application must be made within 24 hours of bringing a motor vehicle to campus. Renewal/verification forms will be mailed out to all faculty and staff prior to a new registration year. Annual application forms will be available at the Campus Safety table on both registration days in September.

Issuance of Parking Permits
Parking permits will be issued from the Campus Safety office 24 hours a day, as well as at registration.

Display of Parking Permits
The parking permit identification is a window decal. It must be placed on the windshield, in the upper corner on the driver’s side. Displaying the permit anywhere else on the vehicle may result in its being overlooked by Campus Safety officers and the subsequent towing of the vehicle. A vehicle is not considered registered until the permit is displayed, even if an application is on file. The decal must be permanently affixed to the window.

Notification of Change in Vehicle
Persons who change the vehicle they have at Knox, either temporarily or permanently, must register that new vehicle within 24 hours at the Campus Safety office. A new parking decal (either permanent or temporary), will be issued.

Special Parking

This parking is reserved for individuals who have a particular need, based on their work or physical condition. There is handicapped parking available in most parking areas. These spaces include both the parking space and the adjacent unloading space, which is generally marked with painted diagonal lines. The handicapped parking sign is mounted in the center of both spaces, and illegal parking in either portion of the handicapped space will result in both ticketing and towing. There are a few spaces on campus reserved for service vehicles, and there are two 30 minute parking spaces south of Seymour Library on W. Berrien St. 

Special events parking, conference parking, and all of the temporary parking requirements of the College must be scheduled and approved through the Campus Safety office by the College sponsor or host.

Parking for prospective students and parents who are visiting the Admission Office is specially reserved on the Ford Center for Fine Arts circle and in the Cherry St. parking lot. These areas are reserved on weekdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until Noon. No faculty, staff, or students are permitted to park here during these hours, and towing will be strictly enforced.

Visitor Parking

Parking arrangements for guests and visitors to the campus are the responsibility of the College sponsor or host. Visitors can be directed to use the first row of spaces in the Cherry St. lot or to the spaces reserved for visitors at CFA circle. Otherwise, visitors should be encouraged to use on-street city parking or should be directed to use the gravel parking area east of Fleming Fieldhouse off S. Prairie St.

Enforcement

Any parking program requires the attention and consideration of the rules of all participants. Registered vehicles found in violation of published regulations will be ticketed and/or towed, depending on the nature of the violation, regardless of the existence of posted signs at the exact point of the violation. If signs are missing, unregistered vehicles will only be ticketed, except in extreme cases or where there are repeated violations. All tows will require the direct approval of the Director of Campus Safety.

These regulations will be enforced 24 hours a day, except as noted above. Regulations will be enforced primarily during normal business hours for the regular parking areas, but will be enforced at all times in fire lanes, traffic lanes, and grass areas.

Anyone having unpaid fines will not be issued a new parking permit for the following year, or be allowed to renew a permit, until such fines are paid.

All fines must be paid, either by check (payable to Knox College), or by billing to a student account or by deduction from an employee’s paycheck. This must be done in person at the Business Office in Old Main between 8:30 a.m. to Noon and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday – Friday, or by returning the parking ticket to the Business Office by campus mail or U.S. mail after checking off an appropriate box for billing purposes, or by sending a check along with the ticket to the Business Office, Box K-147, Knox College, 2 E. South St., Galesburg, IL 61401.

The College reserves the right to remove and have impounded any abandoned vehicle; any vehicle found on campus or College-owned property in violation of posted parking signs or published regulations; any vehicle with an altered, unauthorized, or revoked permit; any vehicle parked in a fire lane or reserved space; any vehicle blocking a loading area or trash dumpster; any vehicle parked on lawns or walkways; any vehicle determined to be a health or safety hazard. The owner or operator will be responsible for the costs involved in removing, impounding, and storing such a vehicle.

All vehicles must be parked within the boundaries of the parking spaces. The fact that other vehicles are parked improperly shall not constitute a valid excuse for parking with any part of the motor vehicle over any line. In unpaved parking lots, the concrete bumpers will be placed to delineate the parking space, and operators should park accordingly.

Vehicles must be parked in such a way that will not constitute a serious hazard nor impede vehicular or pedestrian traffic, emergency vehicles, or the making of essential repairs. The fact that a person parked in violation of a regulation and did not receive a citation does not authorize others to engage in such parking, nor does it mean that the regulation is no longer in effect.

Disabled Vehicles

Disabled vehicles in College parking lots should be reported to Campus Safety immediately. The owner of a disabled vehicle is responsible for its removal. Should the vehicle not be removed within an agreed time, or if it creates a problem for normal parking, Galesburg Police can designate it an abandoned vehicle and it will be towed and stored at the owner’s expense.

Snow and Snow Emergencies

Efforts will be made to have College lots plowed as soon as possible after a snowstorm. To permit proper plowing, vehicles must be removed from lots and those spaces not used until they are plowed. Parking spaces will be cleared in the lot east of Fleming Fieldhouse off S. Prairie St. so that vehicles can be moved there while the other lots or spaces are cleared.

The City of Galesburg enacts a “snow emergency” on all city streets when snow accumulation reaches 2 inches. Vehicles parked on city streets at that time will be subject to ticketing and towing by the City of Galesburg. The parking prohibition will remain in effect on all city streets for a period of 12 hours or until the street has been completely plowed. Listen to local radio stations for snow emergency announcements. Note that Brooks St. from S. Prairie St. to CFA circle, and W. Berrien St. from the Seymour loading dock to S. Academy St. are Knox College property and not subject to this parking ban.

Violations and Penalties

A written notice of parking violation (ticket or citation) shall be affixed to each vehicle that is parked in violation of these published regulations (and any other regulations which may be promulgated during the year after community-wide notification). The following action will be taken for violations:

Appeals

Any ticket may be appealed by completing an appeal form available at the Campus Safety office or online Parking for personal convenience will not be considered a valid reason for appeal.. This form must be received within five working days of the violation date in order to be considered. While under consideration, all fines will be held in abeyance. A response to an appeal will be made within ten working days. Fines are due within seven days of notice of an appeal decision. Failure to pay a fine may result in the revocation of parking privileges.

Towing Policy
All tows shall require the direct approval of the Director of Campus Safety.

Acting at the request of Knox College, a bonded towing service will remove from College property any vehicle designated by the Campus Safety Department. The owner of the towed vehicle may recover his or her vehicle from the towing company upon payment of the appropriate charge. The Campus Safety office will have information on all vehicles towed from College property and the owner should contact Campus Safety at 309-341-7979 prior to recovering his or her vehicle.

Before towing any registered vehicle, one attempt will be made by the Campus Safety office to notify a registered owner by telephone. The notice of violation will be written and affixed immediately. If the owner responds within five minutes and moves the vehicle, no tow will be requested and only the citation and fine will remain. If the owner cannot be contacted, or does not respond within five minutes, the towing service will be requested to tow the vehicle. If the vehicle is towed, the owner must pay the towing fee and any storage fees directly to the towing service.

The responsibility for finding a legal parking space rests with the motor vehicle operator. Lack of space is not considered a valid excuse for violation of the parking regulations.

For further information or questions about the motor vehicle and parking regulations, please contact the Knox College Campus Safety Office.