LBCC’s rigid one-vehicle-per-permit policy is troublesome for students who share cars with their family members or switch vehicles on certain days.Â
Since the parking permit strictly allows only one vehicle, if a student wants to park another car on campus, they must purchase a separate permit, which costs $2 a day or $30 for the entire semester.
This forces students to pay extra money for a minor, sometimes necessary, change in their transportation.
If LBCC really wants to simplify parking management and cares about student well-being, it should allow students to register two or more vehicles per permit to reduce frustration and align with how students actually commute to campus.
Cal State Long Beach announced that starting Fall 2025, they would limit student parking permits to one vehicle, which caused frustration among students.
In contrast, several other colleges embrace flexibility very well by allowing students to add two or more vehicles to one permit, but only one vehicle can be parked on campus at a time.
Under LBCC’s old system, splitting up the cost with a fellow student by adding two different cars to the same permit was possible as long as they didn’t park simultaneously.
Therefore, LBCC’s rigid rule doesn’t reflect regular student behavior, especially when students help out their families or friends.
For some people, $2 a day may not be a big deal; however, what happens when a student switches to another car and has to pay double for the rest of the semester?
The fee doesn’t relate to actual parking demand because students pay for a second permit when they can only ever use one space at a time.
In case a student needs to update a temporary license plate to a permanent one or change their vehicle permanently, they must contact the LBCC Parking Services Department, which may be a lengthy process.
This policy unnecessarily increases the financial burden and needless administrative headaches, contradicting the mission of affordable community college education.
