Alex Coolman
An automotive riddle: Why does Glendale Community College parking get
less hectic about six weeks after school starts?
The answer: After six weeks, there aren't as many students, with some
people deciding to pursue their studies at a later date.
But scarce parking is a fact of life for the school's students, and
during the beginning of the term it's a fact that makes getting an
education a logistical as well as an intellectual challenge.
Steve Wagg, chief of the Glendale Community College Police Department,
said residents in the area of the school have some wariness about the
beginning of the fall term, which starts Sept. 5. Their biggest
complaint, he said, is the cut-through traffic from students hoping to
avoid congestion.
"A lot of people do it," he said. "The city over the past several
years has set up speed bumps and no-right-turn areas. The city's doing
their part, but students still try to take short cuts."
Residents also grouse about students occupying the parking spots on
residential streets.
The school has set up a shuttle service and financial incentive
program to help make things easier for students trying to find parking --
and less frustrating for school-area residents.
During the first six weeks, students can park in the school's off-site
parking structure, on Monterey Boulevard west of Brand Boulevard and take
the school's shuttle service to campus. The $22.50 permit for the program
can be exchanged for a regular parking permit after the first six weeks,
allowing students to park in campus lots.
An ordinary parking permit costs $45, meaning that students who use
the shuttle for six weeks end up parking for half price.
The shuttle service was started at the beginning of 2001 but got off
to a relatively slow start, with low ridership.
Officials say they hope the new incentive program will encourage more
students to take the shuttle, at least during the first six weeks.
Permits are available from the campus police in SM 153.
