Parking Services at UCLA has recently banned graduate students from parking in Parking Structure 2, the closest parking structure to the Research Laboratories on South Campus, citing overflow as the major reason.  UCLA is an R1 institution, meaning the majority of funding to UCLA comes from research grants.

Graduate students are the work horses of the campus, with research bringing in millions of dollars each year. A lot of graduate students work late hours, much later than the normal 9 to 5 pm work day that normal staff, faculty and administration work. Several graduate students work until 7, 8 or 9 pm or even later, which makes it inconvenient for someone to have to walk across campus by themselves that late to get to their car.

By not allowing graduate students to park in structure 2 anymore, we have been displaced to parking structures 4, 7 and 3, which are an extra half mile (lots 4, 7) and one mile (lot 3) walk to South Campus. Lots 4 and 7 are mixed lots with only two levels, meaning people from all across campus park here and it is full a lot. Structure 2 has seven floors of parking, which is confusing when administration says there is overflow but they will place us in smaller parking structures. A lot of times when there are special events, permit holders for lot 4 and 7 are displaced at inconvenient times for a Basketball game, Parents Weekend, etc. As paying permit holders, this should not be allowed and UCLA should not be inconveniencing the hardest working group of students on campus; this is unacceptable, especially when Parking Structure 2 is empty on several floors. I received a $64 parking ticket for parking in structure 2 on Friday of Parents weekend after spending almost an hour trying to find a spot in 4, 7, and 8.

Administration has tried coming up with solutions for us graduate students:
1. Call the Community Service Officers to walk you to your car.
Every day? This would get very inconvenient and I shouldn't have to have the concern that campus isn't safe enough to walk across by myself that that is even a suggestion from the administration.
2. You can park in Structure 2 after 4:30 pm. You can move your car after hours.
When I am in the middle of an experiment, I cannot take 30 minutes to walk to structure 4 or 7 to move my car. It is very inefficient, and while I would like to do this, I can never find the time to leave lab at 4:30 to move my car.
3. When there are displacements for special events you can park in any of the other lots specified by UCLA.
When I spent 45 minutes circling in Lot 7 and didn't find a spot and then went to 8 and also didn't find a spot, is my only option lot 3 which is a 30 minute walk to lab? When lot 2 is completely empty on the top floor? and if I parked in 8 and left lab after 7, I would have to go pick up my keys from Valet at Ronald Regan Hospital? Such an added stress when there is a lot across the street from my lab. And I have to spend an hour looking for parking spot when I pay for a permit, which will add an extra hour onto my work day in lab.

Graduate students are paying for permits out of our own pockets, work the longest hours, and should not have to stress out about the parking situation or have to worry about getting expensive parking tickets. We work so hard to bring good research to UCLA, the least we should be given is respect for parking and not have to worry about safety and adding extra commute time to our already busy schedules!

Please sign if you agree and share any stories and experiences you have had since graduate students have not been allowed to park in Structure 2!

The photo shown above is a shot of the 7th Level of Structure 2 at 12:15 pm on Tuesday September 15, 2015.