Petition for Reform of the UGA Parking Enforcement and Motorcycle Policy

To: The Office of the President, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Transportation and Parking Services (TPS), University of Georgia

 

Executive Summary:

This petition raises serious concerns about how UGA Transportation and Parking Services (TPS) enforces parking rules, especially toward students who ride motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds.

Students are being issued $500 “Access Zone” citations, denied the ability to appeal certain tickets, booted without considering impact or limiting costs, penalized in areas where motorcycle parking is clearly insufficient, removed without notice, poorly marked, or inaccurately listed on the TPS website.

Motorcycles are one of the most space-efficient forms of transportation on campus. Yet instead of being accommodated, riders are being punished for infrastructure failures they did not create.

We are demanding immediate reforms that include:

• Review or change in booting policy 
• The right to appeal all citations
• A moratorium on $500 motorcycle access-zone fines
• Permission for motorcycles to use clearly unused space
• Restoration and accurate posting of motorcycle parking areas
• Protections regarding university policies 

This is not about avoiding rules. It is about fairness, proportional enforcement, and holding the University accountable for maintaining the infrastructure it expects students to follow.

 

 

I. Disproportionate Fines and Lack of Fair Review

A $500 citation is not a minor penalty. For many students, it is rent, groceries, or a utility bill.

Issuing $500 “Access Zone” fines to motorcycles, especially in cases where no wheelchair ramp or active ADA access point is physically blocked, is excessive and disproportionate. When combined with a “Non-Appealable” designation, students are left with no meaningful opportunity to explain circumstances such as faded paint, lack of signage, or insufficient designated parking.

Booting policies make the situation worse. Students who cannot immediately pay face immobilization of their vehicle without a formal hardship process. That kind of system does not reflect a university that prioritizes student well-being.

Enforcement must be fair, reviewable, and proportional.

 

 

II. Infrastructure Failures Are Forcing Violations

UGA cannot expect perfect compliance where it has failed to provide adequate parking or clear notice.

• Motorcycle riders consistently face:
• Science Learning Center (SLC) & Tate: Not enough motorcycle spaces for demand.
• Caldwell Hall: Motorcycle parking removed without clear warning or replacement.
• Health Science Campus: Faded paint and unclear markings.
• Motorcycle lots that remain listed as valid on the TPS website even after removal or changes.

Students have reported arriving at lots still posted online as active, only to find them gone and then being forced to search elsewhere under time pressure to make class.

When motorcycle lots are full, riders are ticketed for:

• Parking between motorcycles within designated motorcycle lots
• Parking in striped areas that are not blocking active accessibility infrastructure
• Students are being fined because the University has not provided enough space.

That is a structural problem, not a disciplinary one.

 

 

III. Motorcycles Are Being Penalized Despite Being More Efficient

Motorcycles take up roughly a third of the space of a standard car, both on the road and in parking lots. Allowing motorcycles to operate flexibly increases the number of students who can park within the same footprint.

Instead, TPS is treating motorcycles as if they create the same spatial burden as cars, while also restricting them to extremely limited designated areas.

Students have raised a simple question: Why punish and restrict the most space-efficient vehicles on campus?

 

 

IV. Inconsistent Enforcement and Institutional Double Standards

Students have personally observed UGA vehicles parked in disability and wheelchair access zones next to the motorcycle lot outside of Geography-Geology and Physics. In those cases:

• The disability space was blocked.
• The wheelchair access zone was blocked.
• The motorcycle lot itself was partially obstructed.

Yet motorcycle riders are fined $500 for “spilling over” into striped areas, even when no accessibility ramp is blocked.

If enforcement is strict for students, it must be consistent across all vehicles, including university-operated vehicles.

Fairness requires equal application of rules.

 

 

V. A Functional Alternative Already Exists

At Kennesaw State University, motorcycle policies demonstrate that a balanced and reasonable system is possible.

At Kennesaw State:

• Motorcycles did not require a paid parking permit. Riders only registered their plate, make, and model.
• Motorcycles were allowed to park in unused, non-obstructive areas in lots and garages, including white-hashed unused spaces.
• Restrictions appropriately applied to ADA zones, fire lanes, emergency routes, and marked vehicle spaces.

This system recognized that motorcycles reduce congestion and use space efficiently. It worked without excessive fines or forced violations.

UGA can adopt similar reforms.

 

 

VI. Our Demands for Immediate Reform

We formally request the following:

1. Reform to booting and policy

Create a transparent system allowing students to:

• Request a review regarding booting
• Advocate and limit ticket price
• Apply for fee reduction or waiver
• Enter structured, interest-free payment plans

No student should lose vehicle access simply because they cannot immediately afford a $500 fine.

2. Restore the Right to Appeal All Citations

Eliminate the “Non-Appealable” classification. Every $500 penalty should be subject to human review, especially when infrastructure is unclear or insufficient.

3. Moratorium on $500 Motorcycle Access-Zone Fines

Immediately suspend $500 citations issued to motorcycles in striped areas unless an actual ADA ramp or accessibility feature is being physically blocked.

Conduct a demand-capacity review of motorcycle parking at SLC, Tate, Caldwell, and other high-traffic areas before continuing enforcement at this level.

4. Allow Motorcycles to Use Clearly Unused Space

Authorize motorcycles to park in clearly unused or non-occupiable areas (including white-hashed unused spaces), as long as they do not block:

• ADA access zones
• Fire lanes
• Emergency routes
• Marked vehicle spaces

This reform costs nothing and reduces forced violations.

5. Restore and Accurately List Motorcycle Parking

• Evaluate removed motorcycle spaces.
• Update the TPS website when changes occur.
• Repaint faded lots and install clear signage before issuing citations.

Students cannot comply with rules that are not clearly communicated.

 

 

VII. Protection Against Arbitrary Permit Restrictions

In the event that the University considers limiting or capping motorcycle parking permits due to demand, any such restriction must be transparent, proportional, and supported by publicly released capacity data.

Motorcycles occupy significantly less physical space than standard passenger vehicles. Any permit allocation policy must reflect this spatial efficiency and may not disproportionately restrict motorcycle riders while maintaining substantially higher allocations for larger vehicles.

Specifically, we request that:

• A publicly available demand-capacity analysis be conducted before any permit cap is implemented.
• At least one full academic semester of advance notice be provided before implementing any restriction.
• Overflow accommodations (including use of clearly unused, non-obstructive spaces) be considered prior to reducing permit access.

Motorcycle riders should not face reduced access as a substitute for infrastructure planning or administrative convenience.

 

 

VIII. Conclusion

This petition is not an attack on regulation. It is a call for fairness.

Students who choose motorcycles are reducing congestion, saving space, and using one of the most efficient forms of transportation available. They should not be punished for infrastructure shortages, outdated website listings, or inconsistent enforcement.

UGA is an esteemed institution. Its parking policies should reflect that standard.

We are asking for reasonable enforcement, accurate information, sufficient infrastructure, and humane treatment of students.

That is not radical. It is responsible governance.