With MTA raising its fares in less than a week, some City College students are looking into alternative transportation. However, driving to school may not be the answer. Outside of spaces for the disabled, CCNY lacks adequate parking in and around campus.“There is just no space,” says Lt. George Crinnion, assistant director of Public Safety at City College.
CCNY’s Student Affairs office reports that student complaints about parking have gone up recently. Wendy Thorton who has been dealing with parking issues, says that changes may be coming, but she felt uncomfortable elaborating. “I’ve been getting requests for student parking and something is in the works,” was all she said.
City College officials recommend that students scour the streets for parking near school. But some students like 21-year-old Amela Julevic, feel that the “no space” excuse is bogus. “Why can’t they spare one of the three faculty parking lots, or consider building a lot in the park behind the science building,” says Julevic.
With few options, students often spend precious time looking for parking near campus. Sanah Jamal, 23, has a car, but rarely drives to school. She would, she says, if the school offered a student parking lot. “The one time I drove to school I missed my first class and walked in half an hour late to my second class,” says Jamal. “All because I was trying to find parking–never again!”
The current CCNY parking policies are straightforward. The school offers three faculty parking lots available to all staff members and students with disabilities. You can apply for five different parking permits, all of which require a fee except for the St. Nicholas Terrace parking permit, which is free. All permits are valid for a year under a first come, first serve basis; unless you have the reserved parking permit. To obtain an application for the parking permit, visit http://www1.ccny.cuny.edu/current/security/parking.cfm.