Foundation parking not the best deal

For the students and faculty who spend most of their time on Cal State Long Beach's Lower Campus, parking in the Foundation Building lot has proven to be the nearest and fastest means of getting to class Ñ unless the lot is filled to capacity, leaving those who paid $63 for a semester pass to find parking elsewhere.

As the rain poured Wednesday morning, drivers could be seen circling the overfilled lot, trying to maneuver past cars parked at every island red zone. Even as these drivers searched in vain for any nook or cranny large enough to fit a car, whether designed to or not, more cars were allowed to enter the monitored lot. No one was turned away. No "lot full" sign was posted.

Toni Beron, spokesperson for CSULB, attributed the fullness of the lot to the bad weather, a conference taking place that morning, the general chaos of the first week of classes and, admittedly, "to visitors who pay for hourly passes."

Beron said the Foundation may begin regulating the number of hourly passes so that those with semester passes will have a better chance of finding parking. Just how and when that regulating will take place she does not know, Beron said.

"If students are concerned about the parking inconveniences they have the option of a full refund," Beron said.