Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Gamaliel Ortiz LaTrisha Clark, social work junior, prepares for her first shift as a shuttle driver. She said she loves her job and the students who ride the shuttle. UTAPS offers various shuttle rides throughout the day. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Gamaliel Ortiz The UTAPS parking lot Tuesday morning is filled. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jocelyn McGregor The new location of UTAPS. [Click to enlarge]

For most students, the beginning of a new semester means adapting to changes. While students may be used to waking up early, they are still struggling to accept the fact that University Transportation and Parking Services has moved to a less-visible location off campus.

UTAPS Director Nancy Fox said UTAPS was forced to relocate in early July after its former home, Foley Hall, was demolished to make room for a new 209,000-square-foot residence hall.

Fox said UTAPS was lucky enough to find a new home off of Folsom Boulevard and Hornet Drive. She said the new location in the CalSTRS building at 7667 Folsom Blvd., came by necessity and functionality.

"The campus acquired the CalSTRS building and there was adequate office space available for the UTAPS operation," she said.

Although Fox said the move was "necessary," it has proved surprising for many, as it occurred over the summer before the fall semester began. She said she is unsure why students and professors are surprised, given the fact that a parking update was sent out via e-mail in late June.

Liberal Studies Director Lindy Valdez said she too is surprised to see students and faculty members so shocked, since word of Foley Hall's demolition had spread so far.

"Space will always be an issue here," Valdez said. "The relocation… was inevitable."

That being said, students like kinesiology
major Ray Martinez recall visits to Foley Hall being easy and have expressed concern that the new location will make things more difficult.

"It was nice having it there at Foley," Martinez said. "You could walk there if you had some business to take care of or you could stop by on your way out of campus and park in the ten minute parking. When I found out they had moved…I thought it was a dumb idea."

Health science professor Akbar Davami said the move will be extremely difficult for him.

"An off-campus UTAPS center is inconvenient for me," he said.

Fox said the UTAPS-funded move took only two days and cost approximately $17,000. She anticipates that the move will last at least two years, as appropriate on-campus space will not be available until then.

Fox said things have gone great so far, even better than expected.

"The first few days have gone very well," she said. "The UTAPS office has been very busy providing parking permits."

Other programs, including the Archaeological Research Center and the PRIDE Center, were forced to find new homes as well, either on or off campus.

Fox reminds said those students who are having trouble accessing the new location can manage their parking related services online at www.csus.edu/utaps, instead.

She said students looking to save money can walk, bike, or rollerblade to school, purchase a carpool pass or ride the Hornet Express, Sac State's free shuttle service.

Jose Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@statehornet.com.

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