All State of Texas Traffic Codes are enforceable on COM property and will be enforced by the College Police Department. Please adhere to all posted and published traffic control devices on campus. Citations can and will be issued. Informational parking flyers are available throughout campus, or you can request a copy through the Campus Police Department. 

Authority

College of the Mainland has the authority to enforce certain traffic regulations covered by the private institutions of Higher Education Act, Section 1, Chapter 600.003, effective September 1, 1997.

  1. The purpose of these regulations is to provide for the safety and welfare of students, employees, visitors and guests and to provide for the control of traffic and parking.
  2. It shall be a violation to commit any act prohibited by these regulations or fail to do any act required by these regulations.
    • Vehicles operated or parked on the campus must comply with all State laws, and the Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations of the District.
    • All vehicles operated are expected to exercise due caution on all parts of the campus with particular regard for the safety of pedestrians. The speed limit is 15 miles per hour on all campus roads unless otherwise posted. Slow to 10 miles per hour or less at crosswalks, buildings and parking lot entrances and in parking lots or other congested areas.
    • The operation of a vehicle shall be restricted to the campus drives, streets and parking lots.
    • No person shall fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of anyone with the authority to direct, control and regulate traffic.
    • The driver of any vehicle involved in a collision shall immediately stop at the scene of such accident or collision, and by the quickest means of communication report such accident or collision to the COM Police Department at ext. 599 or 8403.
    • All vehicles are required to stop completely at each stop sign and then proceed cautiously.
    • No operator of a vehicle shall drive beyond a barricaded area or where prohibited by temporary or permanent signs and no operator or person shall remove such barricade or sign.
    • No person in control or possession of a motor vehicle shall bring the same to a sudden start or stop in a parking lot or street or accelerate or race the motor so as to cause loud noise calculated to disturb the person or persons present.
    • No person in control or possession of a motor vehicle equipped with audio equipment shall play such device(s) to the extent that such sounds are disruptive to the environment of the campus.
    • The operator of a vehicle shall yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks.
    • Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway.

Enforcement

The District reserves the right to enforce traffic rules and regulations:

  1. Through the impoundment of vehicle in violation of Texas State Statutes and the Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations of the District.
  2. By barring the readmission to the District and withholding grades, degrees, refunds and official transcripts of any student or nonpayment of outstanding administrative fees.
  3. By disciplinary action against employees or students who fail to abide by these regulations or fail to pay outstanding administrative fees.
    1. Parking re-instatement fees and/or fines are accessed for each parking violation committed.  The fee/fine is noted below:
      Parking Violations Fine
      Parked without Parking Hang Tag $30.00
      Parked without Parking Decal $30.00
      Parked in Employee Parking without Employee Hang Tag $30.00
      Employee or Student Parked in Visitor Parking $30.00
      Parked in Handicap with no Handicap Placard $40.00
      Parked in Handicap without a Handicap Person in vehicle $40.00
      Parked in No Parking Zone $40.00
      Parked in Fire Zone $40.00
      Parked Occupying Two Spaces (Double Parking) $30.00
      Parked Outside Designed Parking Area $30.00
      Parked with Expired Decal $30.00
      Improperly Displayed Decal $30.00
    2. If fine is not paid after 10 business/school days, student records will go on hold until fine is paid in full. Employees will receive a courtesy email regarding the unpaid fees and immediate supervisor will be notified.
    3. Fee/fines may be paid at the Cashier’s desk located in the Administration Building, along with your Driver’s License and parking citation with you when paying citation.
    4. It shall not be a defense to a violation of these Rules and Regulations that a citation was removed from a vehicle after said citation had been placed on the vehicle.
    5. If the operator believes that the citation is unwarranted, he or she may appeal the citation within 10 business/school days. See below for appeal process information.

Violations will be given for the following:

Illegally Parking in Handicap Parking $40.00
Exceeding Campus Speed Limits JP Citation
Running Stop Signs JP Citation
Passing Where Prohibited JP Citation
Parking on Sidewalks or Lawns $30.00
Double Parking $30.00
Reckless Driving JP Citation
Loud Music JP Citation
Any Other Traffic Violation Varies

Vehicles committing the following violations are also subject to towing:

Illegally Parking in Reserved or Handicap Spaces $40.00
Blocking a Driveway or Doorway $30.00
Parking in a Marked “No Parking” Area $30.00
Vehicles Determined to be Abandoned $30.00 + towing at owner's expense
Parking in Fire Zones $40.00
Blocking a Fire Hydrant $40.00

Campus Parking Citation Appeals:

Learn how to appeal a parking citation.

On-Campus Parking and Parking Permits

General

  • Parking is restricted to the area within the yellow-lined parking spaces.
  • There are clearly marked parking facilities for four- and two-wheeled motor vehicles in all of COM's parking lots.
  • To obtain a parking permit, go to the Welcome Desk located in the Administration Building.
  • Register a vehicle:
    • If you have a new vehicle, go to WebAdvisor and complete the “Register a Vehicle” form listed under the User Account tab.
    • Previously registered vehicles may need to be re-registered.
    • If your vehicle is not listed under the Register a Vehicle tab, then you will need to complete the form to receive your parking permit.
  • Students and employees with temporary license plates or using a rental vehicle must request a Temporary Parking Permit.
  • Students and employees can have more than one parking permit issued to them, but each vehicle must be registered separately.
  • Student and employee parking in the visitor section is not permitted.
  • Parking is entirely within the marked boundaries of the parking space is required at all times. The fact that other vehicles are parked improperly shall not constitute an excuse for parking with any part of the vehicle extended beyond the marked boundaries of the parking space.
  • No Vehicles may be parked in any area that has not been marked or designated a parking space.
  • Vehicles shall not be parked in a manner that obstructs walkways, sidewalks, ramps, loading zones or marked crosswalks.
  • Parking is not allowed where prohibited signs, red curbs or other marketings are on streets or parking lots.
  • It is prohibited to park or let stand a motor vehicle in a loading zone or service drive unless actually loading or unloading materials or equipment. If the time for loading or unloading exceeds more than 30 minutes, COM Police Department must be notified of the extended parking requirements.
  • No person shall park or let stand a motor vehicle on campus for more than 48 hours without prior authorization. Vehicles found in violation may be considered abandoned and removed as provided in TRC 6883.002, VCS Art. 447-9a, Sec. 5.01.
  • Other parking violations include parking against the flow of traffic and parking in a handicapped-parking space without a handicapped-parking sticker. A Justice of the Peace citation may be issued to any person who parks a vehicle in a handicapped-parking space without a handicapped-parking sticker.

Students

  • All COM students who drive a vehicle should have a valid COM parking decal displayed on the left-hand bottom corner of their vehicle’s back window.
  • Students with motorcycles should display their valid COM parking detail on the rear area of the motorcycle.
  • COM student parking decals have an expiration date and must be replaced with a current sticker upon expiration. Your active student status in Colleague does not mean your parking decal is valid.
  • Vehicles that are being driven on a temporary basis (excluding rental vehicles or temporary license plates) must be registered and affixed with a parking decal. NOTE: Decal can be removed once the vehicle is no longer needed.

Parking permit sticker placement on a car's back window

COM Employees

  • All COM employees who drive a vehicle should have a valid COM parking placard displayed from their rearview mirror.
  • Hang tags are not required at the League City or Mainland City Centre instructional sites. However, employees who office at these locations should still obtain one for visits to the Main Campus.
  • New parking hang tags are available at the Administration Building Welcome Desk.

Visitors

  • All visitors to COM must register their vehicles with COM Police on each visit.
  • Failure to register may result in a citation.
  • If you are a frequent COM visitor, you may want to consider obtaining a Community Parking Permit.

Handicap

  • To park in the handicapped zones, a student must have a state issued handicapped parking placard.
  • A temporary handicapped parking decal to be used on COM parking lots only, may be obtained in the campus police office, a doctor’s written statement is required in order to receive a handicapped hanging placard.
  • Placard must be in plain view on rearview mirror while parked in the COM handicap space.

For questions, please call the Campus Police at 409-933-8403

Vehicular Accidents

All accidents occurring on the COM main campus or  instructdional site roadway or parking lot should be reported immediately to the College Police Department. If at all possibloe, do not move the vehicle until instructed by COM PD. Officers will investigate all reportable accidents on COM property, file all necessary reports, aid in the drivers' exchange of information, render needed first aid or summon appropriate medical assistance and arrange for vehicles to be towed if they are not operational.