Students
avoid parking hassles
By Ramon Torres
On-line Forty-Niner
 A
new semester just started, and along with
the challenges students face throughout
the semester, like keeping up with reading
materials or finishing term paper assignments
on time, the biggest is trying to be on
time for class.
Part of the problem is that the parking
situation seems to get worse every semester.
Often times, students must come early in
order to find a parking space before their
class starts.
For many students it has prompted the need
for alternative transportation methods.
Graduate student Wendy Rittermal, who also
is pursuing her teaching credential, found
an alternative method of transportation
riding her bicycle.
She said it is very convenient to use her
bicycle, and among the benefits from doing
this is that she does not have to pay for
a parking permit and she is always on time
for class because there is always space
to leave her bicycle near her classroom.
But for others, such as Francisco Velez,
a business major, it is more convenient
to use the Long Beach Transit, which drops
him off close to his class.
This alternative method of transportation
is another option to mitigate this parking
problem situation.
The LBT busses run through campus every
12 minutes. Lines 172 and 173 run every
30 minutes, according to Rhea Mealey, LBT
marketing manager.
Students only pay 75 cents per ride, according
to the LBT web site.
Monthly passes for students cost $23 and
it can be purchased at the University Student
Union, Mealey said.
“The Campus Connection Shuttle bus is another
way as an alternative method of transportation,
and is free to CSULB students,” said
Mike Gomez, service delivery coordinator
at the Parking and Transportation Services.
“It tends to alleviate the pressure for
parking lots.”
The shuttle runs on weekdays between local
residential areas, campus parking lots and
other campus locations.
If you’re a student that lives outside campus,
you must register with Parking and Transportation
Services at (562) 985-4146 to use the shuttle
off campus, Gomez said.
In addition, an alternative method of transportation
is to regularly share the drive to CSULB.
The Parking and Transportation Services
offers several rideshare programs, including
a student carpool match-list and preferential
parking for registered carpools.
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