By Ana Salgado, Sept.13, 2022
To improve pedestrian and driver safety and enable an expedited construction timetable, a stretch of University Drive will be closed for a week beginning on August 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to a news release from Cal Poly Pomona Facilities. Two weeks into the fall semester, students have voiced their worries to The Poly Post regarding the ongoing construction, leaving many to question when it will be finalized.
Yadira Alvarado-Martinez | business administration student
“One thing I noticed is that there is a lot more room for teacher and staff parking in the morning than there is for students. Additionally, it is absurd to consider that a student parking permit costs almost $300.”
Oscar Avelar | Spanish student
“Although the new school year has barely begun, it seems like nobody wants to be here because of the construction. I really believe that it should have been done sooner, either before or during the pandemic years when school was less hectic in person.”
Vasu Jain | aerospace student
“We have a lot of soil where the school could potentially build extra space for students, but in most cases, it’s really stressful since students are late and it limits their ability to attend places like the farmers market. Additionally, there are a lot of police around, which adds to the pressure. Since there is adequate space on campus, why not use the vacant areas for another student park or building.”
Esmeralda Rojas-Sanchez | biology student
“The traffic flow is probably the major issue that aggravates me the most and is the reason I ended up with a flat tire. I’m not sure how a rod ended up in my car; I mean, I made it home safely, but the road still doesn’t feel secure, and all I care about is concentrating and getting to class on time.”
Makhi Hall | music industry student
“I personally don’t park by University Drive or near the parking structure, so I didn’t find the construction to be a problem, but since I started parking near IPoly High School, I’ve found it to be a little annoying and slows down traffic from the high school and campus in general. The traffic from the farm store to the high school is really awful and inconvenient, and I am practically constantly worried about being late and the stop lights not rushing me overall.”
Maribel Diaz | animal science student
“As a commuter its unnecessary stress, it’s incredible how it can effect students by causing traffic and also students attendance and performance.”
Angel Valdez | history student
“I’m frustrated and annoyed, and the heat isn’t helping. I knew this wouldn’t work out, and I feel bad for the freshman and transfer students because not all of them are aware that they must arrive earlier due to traffic and before classes started and I saw the construction before the school announcement I foreshadowed this semester was going to be difficult and by keeping park permits expensive the school should be lenient by sharing more time with faculty staff parking.”
Maribell Lopez | kinesiology student
“As a junior who has never been on campus in person, it can be scary and stressful, especially because most of my classes are in the engineering building, which means that getting to them requires a long walk, but I suppose it’s manageable.”
Alejandro Castillo | math student
“Even if I don’t own a car, it’s still bad since I feel pressure just from walking and from students who are urged to question me all the time, ‘Are you leaving?’ and ‘Are you heading out?’ It makes me feel awkward and stressed as I walk and am continuously stopped.”
Belem Acuńa | gender, ethnicity and multicultural student
“It would be nice for the student road to be smoother, overall, I find it very stressful. “It bothered me a bit the first couple of days, it’s quiet s walk getting to classes.”