Where Do I Park?

...And Other Questions

August 18, 2009

By Valerie Orleans

As the campus prepares to begin a new academic year, faculty and staff members may have questions about parking and what to expect during the first few weeks of school when parking is at a premium. Joe Ferrer, director of parking and transportation, answers a few questions.

With all the construction going on, will parking be reduced on campus for faculty and staff? It seems like there are never enough parking spaces.

Actually, there is slightly more parking for faculty/staff than last year: 1,940 spaces versus 1,915 spaces last fall. Now, that doesn’t mean the spaces are in the same places. Because of construction, additional parking may be allocated in different areas but the actual number of parking spaces is slightly higher.

Is there a map indicating where the faculty/staff parking spaces are located?

Yes, you can go to the parking website at http://parking.fullerton.edu/. This site provides maps of parking areas and other information about parking on campus.

There are rumors that there will be off campus sites where one can pick up a shuttle? Is that true?

We are actually working with a contractor who will lease about 500 parking spaces at the Meridian Sports Club, located near Target, and provide shuttle service to campus. While the off-campus parking site and shuttle is designed for students, faculty and staff also can use this service.

The waiting period for shuttles, depending on traffic to the campus, could be about 30 minutes but we’re hoping it’s less. The shuttle service would run from Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. This service would begin on Aug. 24 and a valid Cal State Fullerton parking permit is required to park at the Meridian.

What about stack parking? I know that’s done with students.

Faculty and staff are welcome to participate in stack parking provided in Lots A and G. You do need a faculty/staff permit, however. Keep in mind, though, that you may have a wait of up to 30 minutes before we can get to your car. So, you’ll need to allow for that extra time.

There are groups on campus that meet regularly … or we have VIP guests or programs. Why can’t these guests park in the Nutwood Structure special permit area for their meetings? I notice the parking spaces in the Nutwood Structure special permit area are never full.

There are a couple of things we can do for groups that meet regularly. First, departments can purchase parking permits for these guests in advance. The permits cost $8 and are good for the day. The reason the Nutwood Structure special permit area may not have cars parked there is because we reserve a certain number of parking spaces at all times.

We often get last-minute calls about potential donors, VIPs or others who require parking at the last minute. We need to ensure that a certain number of spaces are available at any given time. That said, there may be times when groups can reserve spaces if we receive at least 72 hours notice. Keep in mind that the requesting department will have to pay for parking permits.

Why are you charging for parking for baseball and basketball games? You never did that before.

Actually, if you have a student or faculty/staff permit, you will not be charged. What many people don’t understand is that the revenue made from these parking fees goes to athletics.

Where are the dispensers for daily parking permits? And do you need exact change?

If you go to the parking website, you’ll see the location of the dispensers located throughout campus. And yes, you do need exact change. The permit dispensers accept $1 and $5 bills. If you insert two $5 bills, you’ll receive a receipt for a refund … but you’ll have to go to the parking office in T-1400 to receive your refund.

I forgot my parking permit and I received a ticket. One of my co-workers told me that employees can have one ticket excused per semester. Is that true?

Yes, if you receive a “No Valid Permit” ticket because you forgot to display your permit in your car, you’ll have to fill out a form online at http://parking.fullerton.edu/ticketreviewform/onlineticket.aspx or at the parking office.