Starting Feb. 1, on-campus parking will require a payment or permit seven days a week, according to a press release from Cal Poly. The news, which came out on Jan. 8, upset some students.
“It just makes [parking] super inaccessible for kind of an invalid reason because those lots are not really being used on the weekends,” said Kate Gibello, a plant science sophomore.
The change in policy from five days a week of enforcement in long-term commuter spots to seven days is intended to cover maintenance of parking structure costs, according to University Spokesperson Aaron Lambert.
“Ensuring students and everyone in the campus community know of this change is one of our biggest focuses and has been the topic of months of discussion,” Lambert told Mustang News in an email.
Students, faculty and staff who have Cal Poly parking permits will not be impacted by this change.
Visitors attending athletics events are still required to purchase a daily parking pass. Individuals with tickets to performances at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo will also not need permits, as parking is included in tickets.
“I feel like if we’re paying tuition, we should at least get some kind of free parking.”
John Prichard, mechanical engineering junior
Cal Poly joins the majority of Cal State campuses with weekend parking
California State University policy requires each campus to maintain and staff its parking facilities without the help of state or tuition funding, according to the Cal Poly Parking and Transportation website.
Mustang News analyzed Cal State parking regulations across 23 campuses to determine enforcement of paid weekend parking.
The majority, 16 campuses, require permits and payments throughout the week. Meanwhile, seven campuses enforce paid parking during weekdays.
Parking has seen decreased funding due to construction
In recent years, Cal Poly has reduced the number of parking lots and spaces throughout campus to aid the development and implementation of the Cal Poly Master Plan. In turn, this has decreased funding for parking facilities maintenance, Lambert explained.
Wine and viticulture sophomore Vivian Caesar, who frequently uses staff lots on the weekends, believes that some level of free parking should be accessible on campus.
“It’s a little bit absurd, we are already paying a lot of money, and the fact that there’s no area to park for free even like the side streets,” Caesar said. “It’s really frustrating and [permits are] really expensive.”
Daily parking permits can be purchased online, via parking apps such as ParkMobile and PayByPhone, or in person at parking kiosks located in the parking structures.