Vehicle Usage Policies and Procedures

Safe operation of vehicles is of prime concern for all Government owned vehicles being driven by employees and approved visitors.

The primary purpose for these vehicles is scheduled shuttle transportation to/from Kitt Peak. Depending upon availability, vehicles can also be used for short duration trips, and, if scheduled in advance, for travel to other management approved locations.

All travel usage is subject to the availability of vehicles. To minimize the impact on the KP shuttle operations and to maintain an equitable distribution of vehicles between both sites, there are limits on the number of vehicles available for local, scheduled, or reserved usage. A Chevron credit card is also available when traveling outside the Tucson/Kitt Peak area. Please contact Karen Ray (kray@noao.edu).

top

Vehicle Requests

NOAO vehicles shall be used only for official duties connected with the operation of NOAO and in accord with established site procedures and practices as listed below. Occasionally, additional questions may be asked by the CFO/KPNO staff to clarify the requested usage. NOAO vehicles are not permitted to be used for personal business.

Location	Contact	Ext.	E-mail
Tucson	Karen Ray	8212	kray@noao.edu
Tucson	Brenda Kouratou	8106	kouratou@noao.edu
Kitt Peak	Bellina Cancio	8603	bcancio@noao.edu

GSA License Forms

NOAO vehicles are for use by NOAO personnel and authorized visitors who have a valid State or International and GSA driver's license. U.S. Government and liability insurance guidelines dictate that records be maintained regarding operators of U.S. Government vehicles. NOAO has elected to utilize the GSA license form to acquire and maintain these records. NOAO only obtains driving specific information. Application for a GSA license is available online at www.noao.edu/kpno/forms/autoid.

top

Local Use and Non-Tucson Travel

In-Tucson trips are on a first-come first-serve basis. Please note that shuttle usage to/from Kitt Peak takes priority over all in-town trips. It is necessary to fill out the log in the Operations Building (Room X-13) identifying the in-town destination and all riders prior to receiving vehicle keys. Employees are encouraged to use the Shipping/Receiving delivery/pickup service whenever possible.

• Meetings/Seminars: Due to high demand and shuttle priority, vehicles are not provided for transportation to local Tucson meetings where they sit over two hours (in Tucson), but may be used for transportation of equipment and staff to/from the meetings by a driver.

• Administrative Lunches: Subject to availability and with advance notification, vehicles may be used for supervisor approved administrative lunches.

• Employee Association: Vehicles are provided for usage of Employee Association members in support of their efforts for NOAO employees.

• Non-Tucson Travel: Advanced reservations are required for all out-of-town trips, and are based on availability. To keep appropriate vehicle balance, only two vehicles will be scheduled out of town at the same time. A Chevron credit card is available when traveling outside the Tucson/Kitt Peak area.

• International Travel: At this time, NOAO-Tucson vehicles are not permitted to be driven outside of the United States.

• After Hours, Weekends, and Holidays: Security Officers will issue vehicle keys and ensure that only properly licensed employees and official visitors drive an NOAO vehicle on official business.

Vehicle Operation Procedures

Please become familiar with the vehicle you have been assigned. If you have questions about the vehicle you are driving, please ask the CFO staff for help before departing.

The following are some key NOAO policies regarding the operation of motor vehicles:

• NOAO vehicles shall be used only for official duties connected with the operation of NOAO and in accord with established site procedures and practices.
• Employees shall have a valid State driver's license and a valid GSA permit issued by NOAO before operating a company vehicle. Refer to instructions above.
• US Government and insurance liability concerns require that all passengers be identified on the signout sheet prior to departure. Passengers shall be limited to employees and authorized personnel only. All authorized personnel shall be approved by the appropriate Manager a minimum of 24 hours prior to departure.
• Within Tucson, tune the communications radio to Channel 2. You must switch to channel 1 when 1/2 way to the Kitt Peak area.
• Within the Kitt Peak area, tune the communications radio to Channel 1. Switch to channel 2 when 1/2 way to the Tucson area.
• Please check the fuel level prior to departure.
• Operators shall know and obey state and local laws applicable to the location of the vehicle being operated
• No job is so important that it requires operation of a vehicle in any manner that is considered unlawful or unsafe. An emergency call does not permit the operator to disregard traffic laws or established procedures.
• Operators and passengers in NOAO vehicles shall wear shoulder and lap belts whenever the vehicle is in motion.
• Operators shall drive at speeds permitted by law. Traffic, road, and weather conditions shall also be considered when determining the safe operating speed. For example, in bad weather conditions, reduce your speed. Guidelines are:
  • When driving on wet roads, reduce your speed by at least one-third.
  • When driving on snow and ice, reduce your speed by at least one half.
  • When driving in bad weather, at least double the following distance from the vehicle in front of you.
• Operators shall use caution on down grades; passenger vehicles should use the next lower gear to help maintain speed and minimize use of brakes.
• All vehicles are provided with an access fob on the vehicle key ring to allow entry into the maintenance yard parking area (Hawthorne Street Entrance only)and the South door of the Tucson Operations building.
• All vehicle keys must be deposited, upon arrival, in the key drop box at each location.
• Operators shall promptly report any vehicle problem encountered during the operation of a vehicle. Vehicle performance forms can be found in the vehicle glove box, and should be deposited in the collection box next to the key drop box at either KPNO or Tucson Operations building.
• All motor vehicle accidents, no matter how minor, shall be reported by the operator to their supervisor and site facilities manager. Operators must fill out an NOAO Incident Report Form.
• If the vehicle is transporting equipment to Kitt Peak, please notify CFO in advance and check in with the Mountain Receptionist prior to unloading.

Shuttle Procedures

Personnel and visitors using the shuttles must sign up prior to departure on the log at either the Tucson Operations building or the Kitt Peak Administration building. Please sign up for a shuttle at least 30 minutes to one day in advance to ensure appropriate vehicle assignment. Based upon the sign ups, keys for the appropriate capacity vehicle will generally be made available 10 minutes prior to departure. For shuttle runs outside the usual schedule, the log should be filled out with a specific reason for the unscheduled departure. Both scheduled and unscheduled departures are subject to and/or dependant upon vehicle availability. Arrival times are estimates only; actual arrival times will vary with changing weather, road, and traffic conditions.

Bus/shuttle pick ups and drop offs include stops at the Mission Park Baptist Church (on the Southwest corner of the Ajo Way and La Cholla intersection) and the ADOT facility in Three Points. The bus and the shuttle vehicles shall enter the Church parking lot to pick up and drop off employees and then exit onto the Ajo Way intersection traffic light. To improve employee safety, vehicles are not allowed to stop on the shoulders or median of Ajo Way to pick up or drop off employees.

Shuttle Transportation Schedule

Tucson Departure	Kitt Peak Arrival	Kitt Peak Departure	Tucson Arrival
Early Morning1		8:30 am2	9:50 am
6:40 am 2	8:00 am	11:00 am	12:20 pm
8:30 am	9:50 am	2:00 pm	3:20 pm
11:00 am	12:20 pm	4:00 pm 2	5:20 pm
2:00 pm 2	3:20 pm	6:00 pm	7:20 pm
4:00 pm	5:20 pm	8:00 pm	9:20 pm
6:00 pm	7:20 pm	10:00 pm1

¹ Departure time flexible depending on requirements.
² Shuttle driver generally supplied (except weekends and holidays); however, maybe you-drive on occasion.

Shuttle Status On KP Server
http://kpsv001.tuc.noao.edu/kpshuttle/shuttlestatus.aspx

A program is available at the link above which shows the status of the 12 NOAO shuttle vehicles. This should help identify which vehicles are in use, where they are located, and which vehicles may be used for items going to or from the mountain.

After Hours, Weekends and Holidays

Security Officers will issue vehicle keys and ensure that only properly licensed employees and official visitors drive NOAO vehicles. The Kitt Peak Support Office will notify CFO when official visitors will need a vehicle.

top

Balancing Vehicles At Each Location

There is a fleet of 12 shuttle vehicles assigned to Tucson that are primarily used for travel between Tucson and Kitt Peak. Due to emergencies, different work schedules and other needs, the quantity of shuttle vehicles at each location will change each day. Should it be necessary, your cooperation is requested in driving vehicles to correct any imbalance in the vehicle distribution between Tucson and Kitt Peak.

top