It’s 9:45 a.m. and the Moorpark College parking lot is swarming with sharks. Parking lot sharks. They circle, on the hunt for an empty spot or a student who looks like they are leaving. Sometimes the sharks are successful and make a meal of a newly available spot, while others must continue to circle and hunt for a parking place to munch.

During peak times in the day, most commonly at 10 a.m., is when most students struggle to find a parking spot. While some students tend to have better timing and luck than others and can find a spot in minutes, many students arrive an hour, or more, prior to the start of their class because they know they will have to hunt down a parking spot, rather like a shark. One student said that he gets to school at 8 a.m. to find parking for a 10 a.m. class

“About that time I can get parking damn close,” said psychology major Ryan Mason, 19. “Parking any time after 9 is basically shit.”

The sixth week into the spring semester, when competition for parking has generally been shown to subside ,students are still fighting to find parking spaces in the Moorpark College parking lots, especially at peak times. The struggle continues to cause stress for students and hinder their ability to get to class on time.

Lt. Bob Escobedo, of the Moorpark campus police, advises students to arrive early in order to get a good parking spot.

“If you’re last to arrive during the peak period, then you’re going to have to settle for what’s left,” said Escobedo. “Many students drive round and round in the lots waiting for a vehicle to pull out of a space that’s close to their classes, but arriving early is the best advice I can give for consistently getting a good parking spot.”

Director of Facilities and Maintenance John Sinutko gave similar advice to students, encouraging them to arrive early or be willing to walk a little from the outlying spots.

Moorpark College currently has a total of 3,204 student parking places, including the overflow parking lots, at the campus. There are 443 total spots for staff and faculty. Altogether the school has a total number of 3842 parking spaces. The ratio of parking places to students is based on a formula from the Institute of Transportation Engineers that determines that there should be 0.2 spaces per total number of students.

 “For anyone trying to find parking on the Moorpark College campus at peak times, this formula does not work for us, and is off by a considerable margin,” said Sinutko.

The plans for a parking structure are underway and will add 735 parking places in the structure itself and its surrounding lot. Hopefully this will help ease the problem that is parking on the Moorpark campus.

“We hope to be breaking ground next spring,” said Sinutko.

The main Moorpark College parking lot in the moring on a typical day. (Jeffrey Farrar)

North entrance of the proposed parking structure that will be located near the Moorpark College athletic fields. Rendering provided by the Moorpark College Facilities, Maintenance and Operations Department.