The consensus among students at Cal State Long Beach is that Parking Structure two has helped alleviate the number of cars circling the parking lots but not as much the time it takes to find a parking spot.
Ignacio Carrillo, associate director of parking, transportation and event services, said parking structure two is working.
“The maximum capacity is being used by students,” Carrillo said. He said the parking structure was designed for a certain enrollment and that the long wait is due to a majority of factors, one of them being what he believes is having more students on campus.
“In my opinion, I understand and feel there are more students enrolled than expected,” Carrillo said. He said that from what he sees in the office and in general there are obviously more students on campus.
Another thing contributing to the long waits is that there are more students on campus during the first and second week of school according to Carrillo. He said students are here when they are not supposed to be buying books, getting ID cards, fixing their class schedules, etc.
Students are here longer and there is an overlap in schedules. The usual pattern, Carrillo said, is that students come to classes and then leave, which leaves open spaces for the incoming students. It is usually the two cycles, morning classes and evening classes.
Students, however, are here longer now, getting everything straightened out. The problems then begin from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. when the students taking morning classes have not left and the afternoon students began to come in.
Carrillo said it is like a concert where everyone has to be there at the same time.
Carrillo said this is a temporary situation. To help with the parking problem, he mentioned a few additional parking spaces usually not available have been made available on lot 12 and 13 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Some handicapped places that were not reserved were made available for students so they can get to classes on time.
“It’s a small solution that won’t solve the problem.” Carrillo said. “I’m hoping in a couple of weeks we won’t have to do that anymore,” he said.
Still, early in the morning, a long line of cars still forms as students try to find a parking spot to make it to class on time. Students who have been at CSULB for three years or more know how to deal with the stresses of parking and many have learned that coming to school early in the morning helps the stress of finding parking.
Jose De La Torre, a fourth year history major, and his sister made sure to get to campus early in the morning the first three days of school. De La Torre has seen the long lines that form the first week of school and wanted to avoid that.
“I heard the parking structure was full so we get here early,” De La Torre said. Now, even though he and his sister purchased a carpool ticket, they still arrive to school early, just in case.
Tom Vannithone, a third year business major, says he doesn’t worry about the parking situation because he always gets here early. To him, finding a parking space has never taken to long, but he does say that the amount of cars looking for parking is less and believes parking structure two has a lot to do with that fact.
“It’s clearly noticeable,” he said. It now takes him five minutes to find parking instead of 10 minutes. He still sees students circle the parking lots, but not as many, he said.
Parking has also always been easy for Griselda Pulido, a third year finance major who like Vannithone, has morning classes and always finds parking. Pulido said she doesn’t much of a difference.
Then there are those students that take afternoon classes and the parking situation for them seems to be a lot different than those who arrive here early.
Katiana Payan, a fourth year liberal arts major, arrives on campus at 11 a.m. to begin her search for parking although her classes don’t start until 12:30 p.m.
“I get here and circle the parking lot for about an hour,” Payan said. “My arm gets so burned waiting for parking.” She said she waits in line behind other cards and circles the parking lot until she finally sees someone leave. Sometimes she gets lucky and gets the spot when she turns the corner and someone is leaving.
Payan said it has been the same issue every year. “The wait is pretty much the same,” she said. “There are less cars, but I still have to wait.”
Meanwhile, Carrillo recommends students consider carpooling and using public transportation until things get back to normal.