On Sept. 10, students received an email from Chico State announcing that 70 parking spots were available for students to purchase starting Sept. 12. In the email, vice president of business and finance explained that the new lots would be purchased on a “first come, first served” basis. Unlike the general parking permits, that were originally available to students after the parking lottery purchase window closed, the email describes, “reserved R-3 permits are sold on a one-to-one ratio, so they offer a guaranteed spot in one of the R-3 lots.”

Prior to these changes, the business and finance department issued an announcement earlier in the school year on Aug. 23, notifying students of the parking modifications. The changes affected faculty and staff and general and reserved parking users by adding another 250 parking spots. The spots were added in an effort to “meet permit waitlist demands and decrease parking congestion.”

Students at Chico State who drive to campus are required to purchase a general parking pass valid Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. On-campus housing residents are advised to not purchase a general parking permit as they are not valid for overnight parking. Residents of University Village are also not eligible to purchase general parking permits and must find alternate forms of transportation to and from campus.

For those eligible for general parking, many are still left with the difficulties of finding an open parking space.

Transfer Student Austin Bergstedt explains the struggle to find parking, explaining that after a 45-minute commute to campus, “If I don’t get here before 8:20 a.m., trying to find parking becomes very difficult. A lot of the time I’ll go to three different Chico State parking areas to find a spot and usually then I’m still not able to.”

Bergstedt mentions that in the event that he cannot find a parking spot, he keeps loose change reserved for metered parking.

In other cases, many students and faculty choose to avoid on-campus parking for other cheaper and more reliable options. Chico State professor Wallace Leese, who teaches in Glenn Hall, explains that he chooses to park off-campus because he finds it easier and more convenient.

On Chico State’s online parking services page, the division acknowledges that parking is very limited and therefore difficult to execute, explaining, “because of the limited number of parking spaces at CSU, Chico, we must maximize the usage of all available parking spaces. Therefore, we highly encourage those who live within a mile of campus to leave vehicles at home and find alternative forms of transportation.”

Mentioned in a recent email to students, Chico State encourages students to respect the university’s climate neutrality commitment by considering different forms of transportation. The message states, “We encourage all campus community members to take advantage of the free bus pass associated with your Wildcat ID card, ride-sharing programs, and the new bike path through campus. Please make a conscious choice to reduce your carbon footprint whenever possible.”

Kimberly Morales can be reached at [email protected] or at @kimberl44364893.