Two weeks from now Cal State Long Beach will be holding 10 commencement ceremonies, hosting over 9,000 graduating students, family members and friends, increasing the volume of traffic and lessening the chances of finding parking.
Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t end there.
According to a recent press release, the closure of parking Lot 7 for construction will have an additional impact on parking for the campus community including graduates and their guests.
Despite the anticipated high volume of traffic, the University Police and Parking Services have determined that there will be sufficient parking on campus during Commencement.
“Much development has gone into the parking and transportation plan for Commencement,” said Keith Caires, Crime Prevention Sergeant.
Although parking Lots 5, 6 and 7 will be experiencing certain changes, nine others will be open for graduates and their guests, free of charge.
“I think it’s inconvenient that the parking lots will be closed for such a big week, but ultimately I think we will all be alright,” said Jordan Limon, a senior English literature major. “People are adaptable, and I think we’ll find a way to be wherever it is we need to be.”
Although traffic and parking problems are inevitable, students seem optimistic.
“I feel as if parking won’t be a big problem because the only people who are going to be at the commencement are in a specific major,” said Omar Marchand, an English literature major. “The school is large enough to accommodate all students on an average day.”
The Division of Administration and Finance said in a statement that students’ normal routines and activities will be disrupted, and that every member of the campus community should plan ahead and consider ways to minimize the impact of traffic volume and parking congestion on campus, especially around the Commencement venue.
In order to ensure a smoother process in the upcoming week, students may want to consider carpooling, biking and public transportation as a means of travel to the campus.
For further information and Commencement inquiries, visit the Directions, Parking, and Maps website.