Should Fullerton College invest in building more student parking?
March 13, 2014
Point
by Jennifer Riech
There is an unwritten rule regarding the first two weeks of classes at Fullerton College: show up an hour or two early to get to class on time and to secure yourself of a parking spot.
Even throughout the semester, parking is a problem.
There are currently over 20,000 students enrolled at Fullerton College and while it’s unlikely that all of them drive, a vast majority of them probably do.
The current parking structures are well designed with just enough room for two cars to pass and reaching four stories in height. Regardless of these facts, there simply isn’t enough space to accommodate for the number of students that are attending FC.
Many students have resorted to parking on the streets near the campus and in local neighborhoods because they don’t want to deal with the jumbled mess of people and cars. This is considered the personal hell that comes with trying to find a space to park.
Another structure, while it could potentially possess a problem for the time taken for it to get up and running, will ultimately be a good move for students, those living near the college and the college itself.
Students will no longer have to worry about hunting down a parking spot and waking up earlier than usual in an attempt to find one. Parking will be adequate for the undergraduate population.
It’s a common issue for students to get fed up with attempting to park their cars, giving up and going home instead of dealing with the nuisance of parking and being late to their classes. We pay too much money for our education to miss out over this issue.
There have also been reports of female students being followed to their cars late at night while parked on neighboring streets, so there’s the safety aspect of having another well-lit place to leave and later return to their vehicles that should be taken into consideration as well.
Local neighborhoods have an issue with college students taking up their already limited parking on residential streets. While it might not affect students directly, it should still be taken into consideration. Fullerton is a community and FC is a part of it. We want to contribute positively to our city, not negatively.
As for the benefits that FC itself could make off of the possible new structure?
Parking permits cost a single student $35 per semester, not including the summer semester which costs them $20.
Part of the reason why many students don’t buy parking passes is because they aren’t guaranteed a parking spot despite paying for one. Additional parking means additional revenue.
If one were to look on Yelp for reviews of FC, the most common negative thing people say is that there isn’t enough parking available.
While it’s a common issue with many colleges, it seems to be a glaring issue with our campus. This is an issue that can be and should be fixed.
Counterpoint
by Brittany Gonzales
A new parking structure would be nice to have because there would be more parking for students but at the same time, it would cause less parking space while the new structure is under construction.
The construction for the new buildings took longer than expected; so how long would construction of a parking structure take? Most of the juniors now at FC wouldn’t even be able to enjoy the extra spaces if they started construction next semester.
What about the freshmen coming in, they don’t know the rule of getting to school two hours before class to find parking so they would have to suffer to find parking while the structure is being built.
There are many ways to get past the parking problem. Many students already have to find parking off campus anyway and while students park on Wilshire, others find parking in the neighborhoods and some pay to park in the structure on Lemon and Chapman.
There is also a free 30 minute parking in the parking structure by Starbucks. One way to get by the 30 minutes is to move the car or have a friend move it after the time is up.
There is also free public parking on Wilshire and North Malden Ave. This may be a bit of a walk but if students can find a parking spot then it might be worth it.
The structures are always packed and it makes it difficult to find a parking spot but if students made friends and carpooled, take the bus or even use the Fullerton Bike Link then it would save everyone the trouble of trying to figure out parking.
There are benefits to these suggestions of riding a bike and taking the bus. For one, it saves gas money and helps air pollution go down while also making the parking structure less impacted.
There are many streets and neighborhoods near campus and even a park that has public parking that can be used. Yes, it may be a walk but it can help with the parking issue.
There are many ways to get through the current parking issues but the ones that help are walking and getting rides. This helps to save money on gas and by giving the driver some gas money; it can also help them.
Google maps can also give you a list of free parking by campus. This is a useful tool when you’re running late for class.
Jo • Nov 30, 2019 at 8:00 pm
As a former student, and then subsequent faculty member at Fullerton College for 37 years, I am a long time Fullerton resident living on one of the adjacent streets. I agree with the point of a necessity for MORE on site parking structures. As many of our neighborhood properties are zoned R-2 (Residential, 2 units allowed) more and more property owners have built second homes used as rentals on their properties. This means a higher population density and a greater need for places for those residents to park. We frequently can’t park in front of our own houses due to the students who wind up needing to parking there. Add to that the two hour time limit for parking on the streets before you get a whopping parking ticket from the City (now $38 I think?) and on-campus parking makes even more sense. Moving you car in the middle of a class is a ridiculous idea (I used to send a student out to move mine for me when I was teaching a two hour class followed by a 1 1/2 hr lab) and you only have to forget one time to make it a financial burden. But here’s my question: Who pays for the construction of parking structures on campus? I am of the impression that CSUF’s lots are financed by private entities who only will build if they can know absolutely that they will be profitable afterward; ie are there enough students paying to park there to be financially wise to build in the first place? As with any construction there will be interruptions and inconveniences, but that is temporary, and if the construction can take place during Summer school when the population of FC is below 20,000 students those inconveniences should be held to a minimum. Lastly, I believe there is slated to be more parking built during the construction of the new performing arts center and main stage theatre, south of Chapman/north of Wilshire. (Wilshire Auditorium will be going.) How many will go in there?
Lauren • Aug 25, 2017 at 5:43 pm
It’s enraging that we are dropped from our classes for being late on the first day. We are punished for something that is the school’s fault. Either make more parking spots or stop dropping students because they are late on the first day. The staff has it easy with their own parking lot. Understand that us students struggle to park on the first day of classes.
Jo • Nov 30, 2019 at 8:07 pm
I agree that dropping a student for being late on the first days of class is extreme, and I never myself did that. But don’t assume that because there is Staff parking that the Staff has it easy. There aren’t NEARLY enough Staff spaces, just as there aren’t nearly enough spaces in general. Example: I worked often times in the Campus Theatre very late at night. My Staff permit entitled me to park by the GYMNASIUM clear across campus! Imagine leaving the theatre after midnight as a female and crossing to the east side of campus. Bottom line? Not enough parking. Period. I don’t know what can be done about teachers who drop you the first day for being late . . . Ridiculous.