Fresno City College students begin their fall semester

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno City College's first day of the fall semester started on Monday.

It was a busy morning as students and staff made their way on campus.

"When you come on campus you can feel the electricity and the excitement in the air," said Carole Goldsmith, who is the president of Fresno City College.

However, for some, it was a long wait driving around searching for parking.

"I was driving around over there for an hour over there and I couldn't find parking," said Hailey Betancourt who is a student.

Goldsmith said they are continuing to look for ways to elevate parking congestion.

She explained one simple way to avoid the headache of trying to find parking is to go across the street and find a spot in their "X" parking lot. Then from there, a shuttle will take students to campus.

"The shuttle is free and runs ever 15 minutes from Fresno City College to Ratcliffe stadium where we've expanded parking," Goldsmith said.

The school has offered this for a while now and it is a free service. Although students will still need a parking pass.

"There's a lot of parking over at Ratcliffe. We're actually doing everything we can innovative to make better use of our parking," Goldsmith noted.

Hundreds of students utilize this service each year. It only runs for a few weeks, just until things die down and students get settled in.

"Last semester when I was here the parking was crazy the first few weeks. So this semester I knew I was going straight to the stadium and take the shuttle just because it's the quickest way to get on campus," said student Larissa Medina.

There is more than one shuttle and they stop at six different locations by getting students where they need to be.

"It's the best," said Betancourt. "It's just easier if people are running late".

This shuttle is not the only service to help with parking.

Goldsmith noted this semester they are offering a new ride-share called "Bolt to College".

"If you live in the City of Kerman or nearby... for $10 a month we have an amazing ride-share," Goldsmith explained. "It's a car-sharing program that's electric vehicles and reduces greenhouse gas emissions."

She added since it is a ride-share, students will also be getting to know people in the area.

Students who buy an ASB I.D. card, for only $5, can avoid parking on campus by taking a city bus to campus.

Goldsmith mentioned they will be announcing another shuttle program soon but did not give any details about it.