City College is offering transportation alternatives that are hoping to dilute concerns raised about the new skateboarding and bicycling policy on campus.
With this new policy paired with the addition of police presence on campus, students are becoming concerned. But according to Joe Sullivan, vice president of business services, the police are not doing more than what they are here for. Sullivan and Security Director Erik Fricke have been trying to get police officers on campus for many years, mainly for safety reasons.
“We have been trying to enforce policy by being polite,” Sullivan said. “People have actually threatened to hit security with their skateboards, and threatened them with violence in other ways.”
According to Sullivan, the new rules are not going to be any different than on any other campus. Skateboarding will be banned as soon as a person enters the campus area.
“I have been stopped by security a few times before, but I never really cared,” said 23-year old student Nikodemus Westlund. “Enforcing citations will probably make me carry my board next time.”
Cyclists will be able to ride in any parking lot to get to the closest bicycle rack near their classroom, and will only be prohibited on pedestrian walkways and on the bridge between East and West Campus. They are equal to moving vehicles and have to follow the same rules as the motorists, according to the municipal code.
“Our long-term goal really is to figure out how to get skateboarders and cyclists from East to West Campus,” Sullivan said. “We need a path for them. But we cannot do it with our current pathways and funding.”
One of the alternatives created is the smart-ride program paired with the shuttle program that will start in the fall. From 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. there will be shuttles running between the Wake Center and Garden Street downtown to ease up on the parking issue. It will be offered for free to students, but the resources required might create further financial hiccups.
“It’s expensive, but if it works we will ultimately start charging for the shuttle ride,” Sullivan said. “Then you do not have to pay for your parking permit, but we will charge you 20$ per semester to ride the shuttle.”
Bicycle commuting will be encouraged through the new sheds-program on campus. If a student rides an expensive bike to school they will be able to apply via security and get access to lock it up in one of the sheds, where additional security is offered through cameras and lightning.
“I do not ride my bike to school very often, so I do not know if I would use it,” said 21-year-old student Cavid Gasimov. “But for those who are more enthusiastic I can definitely see that it would be convenient.”
The California Coastal Commission has rules and regulations that limit the school’s ability to put more parking and paved roads on campus. According to Sullivan, the commission does not promote any further growth on City College because of the coastal zone it is in.
“They limit us in every scope of moving people around this campus,” Sullivan said. “I was told during my last meeting with the Coastal Commission that if you put a bench on that campus, you have to tell us. They do not want any access that they do not know about.”
