The number of carpool permits registered for this semester currently stands at 1,012, an increase from last semester’s 947 permits, according to Elissa Thomas, sustainable transportation program coordinator.
Most often, the increase in carpool permit registrations is attributed to the rise in gas prices and the instability of the economy. However, Thomas said the recent increase in fees may be another factor.
“Gas prices have been fairly high for three years, but it is the tuition increase that hit students the hardest,” Thomas said.
Carpooling has been one of the university’s more active and favored rideshare programs because of the decreased gas and parking costs, access to priority carpool parking in a convenient, reserved spot, and eco-friendly benefits.
However, due to the increase in registration of permits, students like junior accounting major So-Young Kim are starting to experience the inconvenience of limited carpool parking.
“Usually, there were plenty of designated carpool spaces available on campus before, but not as much spaces these days, especially after 9 a.m.,” Kim said. “When it happens, I tend to wait until someone leaves and end up being late for morning classes.”
Some students who became fed up with the struggles of parking in regular parking spots are misusing their carpool permits. Each permitted vehicle must consist of two or more CSULB students, faculty or staff residing off-campus; otherwise, it’s a parking violation.
“Frankly, I was caught bending the rules by parking at a carpool space without having a carpool-mate,” Kim said. “I had to come to school at 7:30 a.m. every Monday, and it was the time when my class schedule didn’t suit my carpool-mate’s.”
Rachel Lee, a senior international business major, also confessed to misusing the carpool permit.
“After I went off-campus by myself for personal reasons and came back to park my car in a carpool spot at Lot 17 near Brotman Hall, I was given a warning for not having a passenger,” she said.
Both students never received citations.
However, Thomas said cheating on carpool permits seldom happens since there are many spaces available at the parking structures.
Other rideshare programs like U-Pass, Zimride and ZipCar are also helping students relieve economic burdens.
“The increase in the users of the carpooling program is slight in comparison to the dramatic increase of the U-Pass users,” Thomas said.
The U-Pass program allows CSULB students to ride all Long Beach Transit buses for free when they swipe their student ID card.
“A year ago, about 7,500 unique riders have used long beach transit, but the number has risen to 9,000,” she said. “That is a significant jump.”
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