The lack of student parking during the first few weeks of the semester is causing students to circle the parking lots in search for a place to park.

“I have to come at least an hour early to find a parking spot,” said Moorpark College student Sabrina Cosi.

In the morning hours, parking on campus approaches its maximum occupancy. It is between 10a.m. and 10:30a.m. when the congestion in the student parking lots reaches its peak, according to campus police Lt. Greg Beckley.

As a result, students who are trying to find a place to park are late to class and frustrated.

“People speed recklessly and cut people off,” said Cosi. “It’s hell! I had to cuss someone off today.”

As students maneuver heavy automobiles in jammed parking lots, accidents are bound to occur. Since Monday, three hit and runs have been reported. MC has more hit and runs than any other college in the district, said Beckley.

There is 912 parking spaces including the new parking structure, but grid-lock is still occurring. On the first week of school parking filled up around 10:30 and was maxed out for an hour and a half. After that half the parking was available, according to Beckley.

“Parking [is] a nightmare,” said Moorpark College student Janellie Fuentes. “I had to act like I didn’t see anyone as I cut them off.”

Campus Police see this as a temporary problem and are waiting the situation out, according to Beckley. The only solution being planned on implemented is the re-opening of the overflow parking lot to the Northeast of campus.

Overflow parking closed at the inception of the parking structure last spring. The lot has remained closed during the first week of the fall semester, due to the small window the parking lots are filled to capacity.

“You feel a rain drop, you run to put on your rain gear and then once you get your rain gear on you, you come out and it’s no longer raining,” said Beckley.

In order to open up the overflow parking, three police officers are needed on hand to ensure students enter and park without incident. There just isn’t enough personal on duty to operate the overflow parking, said Beckley.

Some fed up students have expressed a willingness to pay $100 for reserved parking to arrive at school with ease and not worry about if they can find a place to park. Though no such pass exists, students are glad to pay twice the current parking permit price for immediate parking.

At the start of every semester, especially in the fall because of the influx of new students arriving from high school, finding a parking spot is a hard thing to do. The students who have attended MC for more than a semester expect this. One can either, carpool, get a ride, arrive early, use public transportation, or park at the bottom of the hill and make the treacherous 20-min hike up to campus.

Campus Police said to expect less crowded parking lots in September.

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