The shuttle service is in its last days at Fresno City College.
FCC students and staff can park their cars in numerous places outside of the campus and ride a shuttle bus to several campus sites. Limited to the first three weeks of the semester, the shuttle runs from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and again from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for students enrolled in evening classes. The Shuttle will end its services on Sept. 4.
Many students are unaware of the free service and how they can benefit from it, said one of the shuttles’ three drivers. As a result, the drivers pick up, on average, only one person at each stop, sometimes none at all.
The purpose of the Parking Shuttle is to pick up students or staff at numerous bus stops and provide them a quick lift onto campus or back to their cars. There are six bus stops on the route as indicated on the map, the last being Parking Lot Q near Radcliff Stadium. Three drivers have scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs at each stop every 15 minutes.
Students who are still struggling to find extra parking are urged to take advantage of the Shuttle. This reporter noticed vacant parking spots in the neighborhood of Effie and Cambridge Streets as well as in other neighborhoods next to it. A short walk down Effie Street to the sixth Shuttle stop by the stadium can save time from walking all the way to campus.
Students still need to be aware of private driveways, red no-parking zones, handicap zones, restricted lots, and other non-parking areas.
Parking at FCC is a constant issue for students and staff alike. Even with a valid parking permit, and over 15 parking lots surrounding the campus, it is still tricky to find just one open stall in an hour’s time. A few surrounding neighborhoods and business strips allow FCC students to park at no charge.
Parking off campus can prove to be a long walk, but FCC’s short-term solution can alleviate some of the problems.