Driving on Campus: Rules for the Road

Come Sept. 3, tons of new drivers will descend upon the NCC campus, many unsure where they're going but anxious, nevertheless, to get there in a hurry.

Some will do not-so-smart things, like park in nonexistent spots, drive the wrong way on one-way streets, ignore stop signs, and go way too fast.

Don't be one of these drivers.

Even if you manage to avoid running into another car (which sometimes happens when people are in a hurry), ignoring parking and traffic signs on campus is a sure way to get a ticket, if not right away, then soon after.  And tickets are serious money, often $90 and up.

So here are a few tips to keep the commute from ruining your day.

• Register your car before school starts.  No matter what you're driving to campus (car, SUV, motorcycle, etc.), you'll need to register your vehicle with Public Safety (www.ncc.edu/vehicleregistration).  Otherwise you risk getting a ticket, which can wind up costing plenty.

• Leave enough time to park.  Don't arrive five minutes before the start of your first class and expect to find a space next to your classroom building.  Instead, leave at least 45 minutes to park, get your bearings, and walk to class.  NCC may be big, but it's not an impossible place to navigate on foot. 

• Scout out parking in advance.  Finding a space will be easier if you know where to look.  If you're entering campus from Endo Boulevard via Stewart Avenue, there's the East lot (the largest on campus).  If you're coming from Earle Ovington Blvd. via Hempstead Turnpike or Charles Lindbergh Blvd., there's the West lot, which also has plenty of spaces.  There's also parking behind Clusters A-D as well as near Building H, on the western part of the campus.  P.S.  If these directions seem confusing, you can download a campus map that shows the parking fields (www.ncc.edu/publicsafety and click "Map and Directions") and how to reach them.

• Read signs carefully.  Most parking on campus is available to students, but some spaces are reserved for employees and people with disabilities.  Park in one of these spots and you're likely to get a ticket--again a costly mistake.

• Pay attention to campus speed limits (and traffic signs).  The Nassau campus is a busy place--no shortage of traffic and pedestrians at times.  Speed limits and traffic signs try to ensure safety, yours and others'.  Be smart here. 

• Be careful coming in and out of campus.  Nassau County's red light cameras dot the roads around NCC.  They pick up drivers who run lights or fail to stop on a red before turning.  You may not get pulled over on the spot if you're careless, but you could find a County ticket in your mailbox a few weeks later.

Is commuting to Nassau always stress free?  No.  At certain times of the day, the campus is busy, with a good number of people either looking for a parking space or trying to leave one.  But if you plan ahead--and use your head!--driving (and parking) on campus doesn't have to be a hassle.