As first-year students continue to settle into their new living spaces here at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), an increasing number of students are realizing the one major issue that accompanies living in the residence halls: the limited amount of convenient overnight parking.
If a student lives in Area Two, which consists of Avocet, Tortuga, Sanderling and Yarrow Halls, their parking options are limited, if not extremely inconvenient. The closest available parking to Area Two housing is Lot 18, over half of which is designated for no overnight parking. The fi nite number of overnight parking spaces are usually all occupied and if you’re lucky enough to get an overnight spot, but take your car to leave campus, there is a very high chance you won’t be able to get another spot when you return to campus. This creates a feeling of frustration and even competition within the lot; it’s common to be cut off in the lot by another car or even followed when you’re walking to your car, simply because people are willing to do just about anything for a decent parking spot.
If one isn’t lucky enough to get a spot in Lot 18, there is no other option but to park in either Lot 71 or Lot 59, both of which are on the other side of campus from Area Two. This can be quite a long walk, especially if someone is walking back from their car at night or carrying bags of groceries, for example. It is especially frustrating for students when they know those who live in Area One do not face the same issue because of their proximity to Lot 71.
Additional recent lot closures due to the construction have only increased the parking issue. Lot 13 is the newest addition to the list of “no overnight parking” lots, further restricting student options for convenient overnight parking.
An alternative to parking on campus would be to not bring a car at all and instead use public transportation. While this certainly has many benefits, including being environmentally-friendly and a way to save money on gas, it is simply impossible for some students to not have a car on campus. Many students visit home on weekends and need a car to make the trip, or use their car to take day trips to the surrounding areas.
For most students, the best option would be to have more overnight parking available in all areas of campus. This would not require any construction, just the removal of the ever present “no parking 3-6 a.m.” signs common to the university lots.
In the meantime, it is important to stay safe when walking around campus, especially at night. The Nightwalk service is available to walk students back to their dorms and can be accessed by calling 831-655-0268.
