Freshmen at Virginia Tech have a benefit not offered by most competing schools.
Tech is one of a select few universities that allow resident freshmen to bring their cars to campus with the purchase of a parking pass.
Combined, the Lane Stadium lot and the Duck Pond Road lot, also known as "the cage," house all resident vehicles for Tech students. Roughly a 10- to 20-minute walk from any dorm on campus, the lots are located behind the South end zone of Lane Stadium and at the intersection of Washington Street and Duck Pond Road, respectively. The only disadvantage is that for those parking in the stadium lot, cars must be moved to the cage for home football games, or they will be towed.
Tech residents are also able to take advantage of extra convenience with after-hours and weekend parking. With some exceptions, parking permits are not enforced on weekdays after 5 p.m.
The only exceptions are the Drillfield, which is designated for faculty, staff, and graduates from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and also the Dietrick and Owens lots, which are designated 24-hour faculty and staff areas. Permits are also unenforced on weekends, with the exception of the University Bookstore lot, where the parking meters are enforced from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m..
Permits are on sale yearly in the Parking Services offices and online. Obtaining your permit will require your Hokie Passport, license and vehicle registration. A full-year resident parking pass for the 2008-09 school year cost $114, with a semester pass also available for $57. At presstime the 2009-10 permit prices were not available, however, when the information is available, it will be listed on the Parking Services Web site.
Visitors to campus can obtain a visitor's pass during university business hours that will allow them to park without receiving a citation. After hours, permits will not be enforced. However, if the visitor stays overnight, the car will need to be moved or have obtained a permit by morning or it will be cited. Visitor passes for those arriving after hours can be obtained from the Virginia Tech Police Department at the maintenance complex off Southgate Drive.
Despite your best efforts to adhere to the rules, as a resident, it is very easy to get a parking ticket at Tech. Most students don't get away with parking illegally for five minutes before someone from parking services comes by.
The most common citation is parking in an unnauthorized area. For parking violations, the ticket and payment must be received by Parking Services within 10 days to avoid a late fee.
After 30 days, students will receive a block on their account until the citation is paid. Tickets may be appealed, but payment must first be received. If the ticket is overturned, the student will receive a refund.