Stacked parking among new options in place for students this fall

Published June 24, 2019
By Andrew Edwards

Cal State Long Beach will soon welcome new and returning students to another year of discoveries in the campus’ lecture halls, labs and art studios. And when they arrive, students also will discover new options when it comes to parking on campus.

One new innovation, stacked parking, will be available for students during the first eight weeks of the semester. Students will be able to leave their keys and vehicles with an on-campus attendant instead of using time and fuel circling parking lots. This service is free to students.

“Our students need predictable and manageable access to campus. Stacked parking will maximize the amount of parking spaces available, reduce time needed to park during peak periods and allow students to stay on schedule when they arrive to campus. We are hopeful this and service upgrades and renewals will improve students’ quality of life.” said Robyn Ames-Woodyard, director of parking and operations.

Among other enhancements, the department also is working on an upgraded campus parking app called Parkmobile that allows drivers to buy a full-day permit, as well as a new policy allowing students to clear certain parking citations with donations to ASI Beach Pantry. Expanded on-campus shuttle service also will continue during the new school year, as will shuttles and other mass transit options for commuters.

The university’s Parking and Transportation Services department relies primarily on income from parking permits and other fees to finance its operations, including those that support environmental sustainability. Annual planning and consultation have recently focused on finding ways to support the campus’ comprehensive transportation program while addressing a $1.8 million structural deficit. This planning is intended to ensure Parking and Transportation Services can continue to afford environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives in the future, such as campus shuttles and EV charging stations. This process has resulted in a number of changes for Fall 2019:

  • Commuters also will be able to register two vehicles per parking permit with the campus’ paperless permitting system. Only one vehicle may be on campus at a time, however. Additional information is available at License Plate Recognition (LPR) FAQ webpage.
  • Students, faculty, and staff will continue to have access to Long Beach Transit, LA Metro, Los Coyotes and Beachside shuttles, and charging locations for Electric Vehicles. 
    • Parking and Transportation Services will continue its partnerships with Long Beach Transit and LA Metro. The U-Pass TAP Program enables students to take unlimited rides on Long Beach Transit buses, and helped students, faculty and other employees take some 1.15 million rides during the 2017-18 fiscal year. The special LA Metro passes also allow students to take unlimited rides on the agency’s light rail lines. Please visit Long Beach Transit U-Pass TAP Program and LA Metro U-Pass for schedule and fee information.
    • The Los Coyotes and Beachside shuttles will continue service to and from campus. For full information, see the Shuttle Fee Schedule. Cal State Long Beach recently added a fourth shuttle to its popular West Loop line. Campus shuttles provided about 22,500 hours’ worth of transit service to riders in 2017-18. Vehicles are fueled with compressed natural gas reclaimed from farms and landfills. This can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 70 percent when compared to emissions from diesel- or gasoline-powered vehicles.
  • EV drivers can still recharge their vehicles on campus. Cal State Long Beach has 44 EV chargers. Information locations and fees is available at Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
  • Parking citation fines are scheduled to increase proportional to the rising costs of providing parking services on campus. Students who receive certain parking citations, however, on a one-time basis, will be able to donate items to ASI Beach Pantry in lieu of paying a fine. A processing fee will also apply. Read more at the Donations for Citations website.
  • A previously-scheduled increase in parking permits will go into effect this fall. New prices for all users can be viewed at 4-Year Fee Increase Schedule.