On the first day of classes, first-year Emron Moosayar was nearly 20 minutes late to class due to the lack of parking on campus.
His class began at 9:40 a.m, and he had shown up on campus around 9:25 a.m. It took him roughly twenty-seven minutes to find parking. His class was located in the Arts Building, which is closest to Lots A and B. He had to park in Lot F.
“It was quite a walk, it was about a 5-7 minute walk outside. Quite tiring as well, and it was pretty hot in the morning so … that was not fun.”
This is a common occurrence, even for students who have been at Las Positas for multiple years, so it raises the question:
Why are there not enough parking spaces available for students at Las Positas College?
In February 2018, the Express wrote about the college, its parking facilities and brought to light a desire for more parking spaces from students.
The J Lot was created in 2022 for the use of LPC athletic facilities and the horticulture building, but no parking improvements have been made since. Alternatively, a plethora of buildings have been built to provide students with resources, such as the academic support and office building, and the Campus Hill Winery department.
The school was given an $8.6 million budget for the new Campus Hill Winery area, and within the Las Positas Facilities Master Plan of June 2025, there’s an expansion plan for Lot O which will support the Affordable Student Housing project and provide over 400 new parking stalls.
However, including Lot O on the LPC campus, there are over 2,600 parking spots, yet the college has nearly 8,500 day and night students enrolled. So if you find parking, consider yourself lucky.
A parking permit at LPC costs $45 for the semester, and then $3 per day. With the price students must pay to park without a space, what are they paying for?
As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic subside, more students are inclined to take in-person classes.
There may be some professors on campus that run a tight ship where if you’re late to the first day of class, you’re dropped from the class entirely. This is a problem for students who struggle to find parking, as many now do. The first days of classes are some of the most parking-congested of the year.
Time management is already difficult, especially for students who must commute. It’s crucial that something is done about the lack of spaces for students that need to
Students take so much time out of their day in order to plan out routes, when to leave their homes, and even to make sure that traffic won’t also be an issue on their way to getting their education.
LPC administration must address the problems students face when finding parking.
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TOP PHOTO: An LPC student walks through a packed parking lot. The cars behind him struggle to find parking spots before classes. (Photo by Sophia Sucato // The Express)
Celina Rosa is a staff writer for the Express. Follow them on Instagram @celiinarosa.
