This could have been the year of the student…

Just under half way through the 2009 fall semester students are still struggling with parking. I find my self parking in a dirt parking lot on the far most east side of campus and walking to the VSS building on the opposite side of campus. As I have seen a large number of nails and other things that can puncture tires, and that I’m paying $40 to park in the mud, I find this completely unacceptable.

Recently I was photographing the candidates for the new Chaffy College Governing Board during a Q&A session. When a student asked the candidates how they intended to handle the parking problem, candidate Katie Roberts alleged that there was no problem. She even went as far as to place blame on the students. “The student’s just don’t want to walk.” Said Roberts. Meanwhile I have photographic evidence of the most remote, dirt parking lot behind the football field filled with vehicles. Sadly, students cannot vote for the new Chaffy College Governing Board.

Chaffey College President, Dr. Henry D. Shannon was quoted as saying “This is the year of the student.” However, Roberts seems to be more then eager to ignore the concerns of the student’s. Perhaps this is because she thinks that parking fines from desperate students are an acceptable resource.

Edit: I was given false information about voting. It was open to a vote in the county of San Bernardino. Less then 15% of the population voted.

We Are Five Weeks In... It's Not Getting Better!

Until just this year I was working a full time job and could only attend Chaffey’s night or Friday classes. So even though I did know about the parking problem, I was not aware as to how bad the problem really is. Until now…


After paying tuition, on top of all the other unwanted fees. Students are forced to pay $40 for an “on campus parking permit”. Students can normally justify the extra cost under the belief that they can park their vehicles safely on campus. Though when students arrive on campus they discover that there is no parking to be found. Chaffey College officials say that this is due to construction, but students have been complaining about the lack of parking in excess of five years. The only solution officials seem to be able to offer is for you to arrive early. Though parking is so bad, that in my opinion, the student would have to arrive on campus 3 to 5 hours before the class just to get a parking spot within a five, ten or even fifteen minute walk of his or her classrooms.

David Ramirez, chief of police for Chaffey College was quoted as saying "We have 3,036 developed paved asphalt parking stalls at our Rancho Cucamonga site, plus 850 to 900 additional spots which should be enough during the peak period."

While it is true Chaffey College has made available two dirt patches of land on the most remote corners of campus, there not much bigger then the smallest paved parking lot on campus. I did take a walk to the so-called “Overflow Parking,” and at peak hours, they too where filled to capacity. Which forces students to park illegally.

Okay, lets assume the overflow parking is available. I don't mind walking across campus, but it's not fair to make students pay $40 for a parking permit just for the "privilege" to park in the mud. And no, it does NOT get better after the first week. We are now going in to the fifth week, and parking remains a point of frustration.



As I was walking around Chaffey College parking lots I discovered a number of obstacles not related to construction blocking random parking spots. That, in combination with red curbs that seem to be blocking nothing of importance, can make available another 50 or more parking spots.



As this is an ongoing problem EVERY semester it's not enough to ask the students to "be patient", something needs to be done. And as Chaffey College officials are more then aware of the problem I feel that Chaffey College should be held financially responsible and fined. In lue of financial responsibility, students should write letters to Chaffey College President, Dr. Henry D. Shannon and the whole of Chaffey College Governing Board demanding something be done.