On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, even halfway through the semester, traffic continues to be a real problem especially in the B3 parking structure.

There’s always extra traffic control during the first few weeks of school, but traffic congestion has continued particularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, said Alfredo Fernandez, captain of parking and transportation services.

At the beginning of the semester, CSUN police officers and parking enforcement officers were stationed at the corner of Darby and Prairie and at the lower level of the B3 parking structure.

“After the first week of school, Monday and Wednesday traffic immediately corrected itself,” Fernandez said. “There’s a usual trend that Tuesdays and Thursdays are very busy, but the traffic congestion was much more severe. This semester lasted longer (than prior semesters).”

“The busiest times are when people are rushing to get to an 8 or 9 a.m. class,”

said Joshua Foulks, a motorcycle police officer for the CSUN Police Department. “The rest of the afternoon is fine.”

“After 9:30 a.m., it’s harder to find parking,” said Jonathon Fonacier, junior business major. “You have to wait for people who are leaving and hope to get their spot. If I had a later class that started at 10 a.m., I would have to worry about finding parking because I usually get here 15 to 20 minutes before my class starts.”

The later students come to find parking to reach their 10 or 11 a.m. class on a Tuesday or Thursday, the longer it will take them to find parking.

By around 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., students have two options, Fernandez said.

They could park on the top of lot B3 or easily find parking in lots F10 or G10, which are located north of Lassen and north of the housing area, he said.

There is a tram service that operates Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The trams travel to and from the F10 and G10 lots directly to campus.

Foulks also suggested parking on the east side of campus in the G lots.

Although there are no definite reasons for the heavy volume of traffic on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, some speculate it is because students decide to schedule their classes solely on Tuesday and Thursday.

“Since not a lot of people like to go to school, they try to get a Tuesday and Thursday class because it’s just two out five days, so more students are on campus creating the problem,” Fonacier said.

Foulks agreed with Fonacier.

“Since CSUN is a commuter school, students prefer to take classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so they only commute twice a week,” Foulks said.

Some students say Tuesday and Thursday morning traffic is a minor issue that can easily be fixed.

“I think there are too many whiny students at this school,” said senior Giovany Torres, a communication studies major. “They should carpool, take the bus, get here earlier, (or) take Monday, Wednesday, (and) Friday classes.

“Students should be happy with the new B3 parking structure ? if you asked students two years ago, we are much better off today than before,” he said.

Nonetheless, the parking situation is an issue the Department of Public Safety is not taking lightly.

“We do our best to keep the traffic flowing,” Fernandez said.

In addition to officers directing traffic, there is an electronic sign on Darby right by the B lots which indicates whether the lots ahead are full, he said.

There are also plans to build another lot on the east side of campus along Zelzah, which will hold about 1,500 spaces by summer 2007, Fernandez said.

The CSUN administration is currently doing some analysis on the reasoning behind the unusual Tuesday and Thursday morning traffic flow, he said.