Copyright The Mercury News
Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school and college students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists. Traffic begins to pile up at 7 a.m. at San Jose State University as student commuters race to secure a campus parking spot. Drivers, who have paid up to $440 for a permit, circle around and around multiple-story structures throughout the day. At SJSU, the shortage of parking is a year-round problem and a common complaint among students. The issue has intensified due to an 8% increase in enrollment, making fall 2025 the highest single-term enrollment in SJSU history. Although it is unclear how many permits the university has issued, with 44,000 people on campus and only 7,500 parking spots, commuters feel the impact. “Parking has always been bad but this,” said Oscar Caldera, pointing to the North Garage on San Fernando and 10th streets, “this year it’s been worse.” The graduate student said he is grateful to not have to deal with the parking situation at SJSU every day. For four years, he competed for parking like the rest of the students, but this year he tries to find street parking. “It’s not worth the hassle,” said Caldera. The university has recently gone viral on TikTok as students document their experiences as commuters. Videos show students turning their vehicles into makeshift bedrooms, timing how long it takes them to find a parking spot, or making jokes about the parking situation. “Finding parking is pretty frustrating,” said Isaac Cervantes, a second-year business major. “Besides classes, I think it’s the hardest part of my day.” Like many commuting students at SJSU, second-year English major Andrea Alonzo has to leave her house hours before her first class. She gets to school at 7 a.m. for her 10 a.m. class. SJSU police continue to issue parking permits to students. The university has posted messages on its website and around the parking facilities, warning students that “parking is limited.” Neither SJSU police nor campus administration responded to requests to comment on parking problems. Fourth-year student Carla Sparza only commutes to SJSU twice a week. Still, she pays for five days of parking. “I pay $24 a week just to park,” said Sparza. “But I pay like $40 each week for gas so it adds up.” She uses the university’s parking percentage webpage that tracks the amount of cars in each lot in real time. She said by 8 a.m. most SJSU parking lots are 70% full. “I get here hours early and I still have to park on the highest floor,” said Sparza. “I feel ripped off,” said Isaac Cervantes, “I pay $400 a year for a spot that isn’t guaranteed.” The stress of competing for parking spots sometimes erupts. Cervantes recalls an occasion when he was commuting with his sister, struggling to find parking. After finally finding a spot, another student tried to claim it. The two cars went back and forth honking at each other, desperate to move into the space. Cervantes got the spot. But “when we came back, my car was keyed on my driver’s side,” he said. Cate Fuller, a first-year theater major, commutes with her mom, who works at the university. Unfortunately, sharing a ride means she can’t go home midday. At the end of her day, she works at City Lights Company theater downtown. “I don’t go home from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.,” she said, shaking her head. While Fuller benefits from her mother’s employee parking pass, the majority of commuters have to pay for parking permits. A semester pass is $220, and an academic year pass is $440. SJSU has three multistory parking structures on campus and one a mile away, near CEFCU Stadium. Shuttle buses run between the stadium parking lot and the main campus. But shuttles stop at 6 p.m. Alonzo said that she stopped parking at the south campus garage after she arrived at the bus stop after 6 p.m. one day and couldn’t get to her car. “San Jose State is a commuter school,” Fuller said. “It should be more accommodating to people that commute.” So far, SJSU has not announced any fix for the parking shortage. Students are left helplessly waiting for improvements. Fuller didn’t expect her first year of college to be so exhausting. “All I want to do is lay down,” she said. “Being here all day takes a lot of energy.” Iris Sanchez is a member of the Class of 2028 at San Jose State University.
