Campus Walkway Safety Policy

Category
  • Environmental Health and Safety
Responsible Unit Facilities Physical Plant
Responsible Cabinet Member VP for Administration and Finance
Adoption Date 2019-11-07
Last Revision Date
Last Review Date

Policy Statement

Vehicles are not to be driven in pedestrian areas (sidewalks, walkways, grass/landscaped areas), due to safety concerns. 

Purpose/Scope

To establish a policy for the safe and unobtrusive use of service vehicles on campus, keep sidewalks and walkways safe for pedestrians by minimizing vehicular traffic, maintain access for emergency vehicles, and preserve the appearance of campus by minimizing damage to landscaped areas.

Applicability

University-wide.

Definitions

Service vehicles - Service vehicles are any means of transportation owned by the university, other state agency or contractor in the conduct of university business, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Utility vehicles
  • Unlicensed off-road vehicles
  • Licensed vehicles
  • Heavy equipment (i.e. cranes, loaders, forklifts)
  • Personal or company vehicle(s) of contractors or vendors working on campus
  • Delivery vehicles
  • University Police vehicles

Campus - Campus means all property owned by SUNY Brockport.

Policy Procedures

A.  Pedestrians have the right of way on all walkways of the Campus at all times.
B.  The operators of service vehicles are responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle.
C.  Only emergency service vehicles or service vehicles essential to maintaining and servicing University facilities may be operated on campus sidewalks.
D.  Vehicles shall not be parked on sidewalks, grass, landscaped areas or pervious surfaces unless needed to complete a specific task (such as cranes, lifts or bucket trucks) that cannot otherwise be completed without access to sidewalks or grass/landscaped areas.  The time spent on these areas must be kept to the minimum required to perform the task at-hand.
E.  Operators of service vehicles must abide by these regulations:

  • Vehicles operating on university walkways may not exceed a walking pace (~3 mph).
  • Vehicles must stop when there are groups of people in their path.
  • Vehicles operating on university walkways must display a cautionary flashing yellow light with a 360 degree field of view (four-way hazard flashers are not considered adequate).
  • Vehicles must be parked so as not to obstruct normal egress from buildings or block exits, wheelchair ramps or paths of pedestrian travel on sidewalks.
  • Vehicles may not be driven on or across athletic fields unless necessary to provide service on those fields (typically the Grounds Team).
  • Vehicular travel should be avoided on pedestrian routes during class changes.
  • Any accident involving a service vehicle must be reported to University Police

F.  Equipment must be loaded onto service vehicles so as not to create a hazard to pedestrians. No equipment may be loaded on a utility cart that exceeds the width of the cart or exceeds load capacity. 
G.  Employees moving personal items from their vehicle to their building, or vice versa, may not drive nor park on campus sidewalks, walkways, or grass/landscaped areas; rather, they should contact their building coordinator to borrow a dolly, cart, or ask for additional assistance.  

Implementation

All university departments/offices are responsible for disseminating this Policy and insuring appropriate corrective actions are taken when violations of this policy are reported.
 
Facilities Management Project Managers/Coordinators/Construction Managers are responsible for informing contractors of designated parking areas and of the provisions of this policy.

Links to Related Procedures and Information

 There are no links for this policy at this time.

Contact Information

Director of Physical Plant

History (in descending order)

Item Date Explanation
Next Review Date 2024-11-07 Five-year review
Adoption Date 2019-11-07 Policy Adopted
Draft Review Date 2019-10-07 Draft Policy under 30-day Campus Review

Approval

This policy was approved by President’s Cabinet on 2019-10-01