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<td width="343" valign="bottom"><p class="date"><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="date" --><a href="default.html">11/21/03 • Vol.
127, No. 38</a><!-- InstanceEndEditable --></p></td>
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<p><a href="parking.jsp">Parking Officers ease traffic</a></p>
<p><a href="wine.jsp">Wining and Dining - and Learning</a></p>
<p><a href="police.jsp">Police searching for two men who groped women</a></p>
<p><a href="lecture.jsp">Lecture Series endures amid budget cuts</a></p>
<p><a href="impressions.jsp">Impressions on studying abroad discussed</a></p>
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<h1>Parking officers ease traffic</h1>
<p class="subhead">Barstow Avenue's congestion during school days gets extra attention</p>
<p class="byline">By Irene Thirlwall</p>
<p>Students and faculty who use Barstow Avenue as their route to the Fresno
State campus on early weekday mornings experience smoother traffic thanks
to the assistance of campus parking officers. </p>
<p> Driving to school during the 7 a.m. hour, students find a line of cars
at every entrance to the campus. As a result of the work from the Fresno
State Office of Parking, led by Parking Administrator Gary Beddingfield,
traffic runs quicker and smoother.</p>
<p> Under the direction of Beddingfield, there are eight full-time parking
officers and some additional part-time student assistants. These officers
can be found from 7:30 a.m. to about 8:15 a.m. Monday through Friday
directing traffic along Barstow Avenue. </p>
<p> “
It is a positive thing. It helps students and traffic,” said Mervin
Roman, a full-time parking officer who has worked for the department
for seven years. </p>
<p> Roman said the beginning of the semester is the busiest, but traffic
dies down as the semester progresses.</p>
<p> “
Some say ‘thanks,’ or ‘good job,’ some wave or
smile and some curse,” Roman said of students and other drivers
who pass by them in the mornings.</p>
<p> Marie Certa has been a parking officer for three years. Certa is a
graduate of Fresno State with a degree in biology. She worked for the
department
while she was still a student and said she found it was a great way
to pay for school. </p>
<p> “
I think they see us as being very helpful, allowing traffic to flow,” Certa
said of the students’ view of traffic officers.</p>
<p> “
Sometimes they walk without us letting them,” Certa said of the
pedestrians at the crosswalks, who are often impatient students running
late for class. But she said she has had no bad experiences on the job.</p>
<p> “
We are kind of a necessity out there,” said Rick Reyes, a parking
officer for three years and a senior majoring in social work. </p>
<p> Reyes said they are out there during the peak rush hours and it helps
if students plan ahead and try to get there earlier—an idea he
himself has practiced. </p>
<p> “
Some students get here early to get parking and then sleep in their cars,” Reyes
said. </p>
<p> Reyes said some drivers roll down their windows as they drive by and
say “thank you.” He said that makes him feel good. </p>
<p> The only negative aspect he has experienced is anxious pedestrians
in a hurry to get to class, he said.</p>
<p> These officers are also involved with events at the Save Mart Center. </p>
<p> “
It is a little different. A lot more congestion and people are different,” Certa
said. “People are confused. It is a learning process.” </p>
<p> With the addition of 600 spaces added to lot Q last year, there are
now 1,300 spaces in the parking lot on the north side of Barstow Avenue.
This has created a lot more traffic with cars and pedestrians. </p>
<p> To help alleviate the problem, the Office of Parking and Transportation
is proposing a stoplight be put in at Campus Drive and Barstow Avenue. </p>
<p> It has been presented to the campus planning committee comprised of
administration, students and some outside parties. </p>
<p> It will be voted on in December and if approved, it is planned to be
up and running by next fall.</p>
<p> Beddingfield also said he plans to add additional parking officers
to his staff to help with the growing parking and traffic congestion. </p>
<p> Any parking questions or information can be obtained at www.csufresno.edu/parking
or by calling 278-2950.</p>
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