August 23, 2005

Fall semester brings extra parking challenges

University Transportation and Parking
Related memos:
August 26, 2005 (pdf)
August 24, 2005 (pdf)
May 16, 2005 (pdf)

When fall classes start on Monday, Aug. 29, parking is going to be unusually scarce at Sacramento State.

The recent start of construction on a new parking structure near the University's Stadium, which will help in the long-run, means that some 800 parking spots have been temporarily lost. That's nearly 10 percent of the parking on a campus where spots are tough to come by anyway.

The usual start-of-semester parking snarls - when students are still firming up class schedules and buying books - promises to be especially difficult. But even beyond those first couple weeks, campus parking officials are warning that getting to campus and parking will be much more difficult and time-consuming.

Spring will bring an additional loss of about 245 spots when construction begins on a new Bookstore near the University Union. Relief will come in spring 2007, when the new parking structure is due to open with about 3,100 spots.

For the short-term, the University is adding temporary parking in locations including the Stadium, and also making off-campus remote parking available, with shuttle bus service to the campus. Students, faculty and staff are being urged to make alternate commute choices such as taking light rail, riding the bus, carpooling, riding bicycles or walking. And residents of nearby neighborhoods are being alerted that campus traffic issues may affect them.

Additional information is available on the University Transportation and Parking website at www.csus.edu/utaps. Media assistance is available from Sacramento State Public Affairs at (916) 278-6156.

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