The parking situation on campus has become a growing problem over the years, and amidst a recession it is only growing worse as students looking to acquire new skills have begun flocking growing worse as students looking to acquire new skills flock to Yuba, as they are doing across the State?
For the first two weeks, the Police Department does not ticket students parking citations unless they are parked in the red zones or the faculty parking.
“Our main goal is to get students to class on time,” said Chris Wilkinson, Chief of Police.
Despite their efforts, students are still having a problem to get a good parking spot and make it to class on time.
“I have to arrive 20 minutes before my 10 0′ clock class because it takes me 10-15 minutes to find a parking space,” Russel Mackenson, 21, Yuba College Student, said.
“I arrive 3 hours before my class to find a decent parking spot,” David Whitmore, 19, Yuba College Student, said.
The east and west parking lots can hold 2000 cars in the paved areas, but there is parking overflow behind the tennis courts.
The parking decals cost $40, which goes back into the maintenance of the parking lots. They have also given students the option of paying for scratch cards and parking tickets. The Police Department spent $7000 last year on striping of lines and this year they spent $3000 on striping and $10000 on new signage.
Within the last week, there has been 5 complaints on the ticket dispenser swallowing money.
“The parking pass dispenser goes into a standby mode to save power because it runs on solar energy, and that any button can be pushed to activate it. When the light by the money dispenser goes from red to green, the machine is then ready to recieve money,” Chief Wilkinson stated.
Despite the warnings on leaving valuables in cars, Wilkinson says he still sees doors unlocked, windows down, purses left on seats, and urges students to please secure their property.
He also urges students who have night classes to refrain from parking in the field after dark, and to please use the east and west lots because there is better lighting.
“We warn students not to park out there after dark because it is dangerous, but they seem to move into the parking lots once they clear out,” Wilkinson said.
Students who want to appeal a parking citation have to do it on their website now, http:/www.yccd.edu/police/forms.html. This saves time for students and paperwork for the Police for students and the Police and it saves paperwork, as well as makes it efficient to reply in emails.
The Measure J Bond is being used to revamp the east parking lot during the construction of build the new health and safety building in the field adjacent to the lot. This will take about 2 years to complete. Until then, Chief Wilkinson says he and his team will provide the safety and security needed in the parking lots.
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