Closed for maintenance
It’s 9:30 a.m. as students arrive at Santa Monica College (SMC) for their first day of summer session classes. Many find themselves stuck in a gridlock traffic jam after entering Parking Structure 3 (PS3). Levels two and above had been closed for maintenance, leaving students scrambling to other garages, and according to some, late for class.
A memo about the closure was emailed to students and staff on behalf of the Facilities Operations department on July 2, also stating that this closure would be in effect until July 18. However, many students say they never received this notice.
SMC student Ashley Jackson-Pigliapoco is one of several students who were affected by the closure. Like many others, she commutes from surrounding areas in Southern California to attend classes at SMC.
Jackson-Pigliapoco said, “I had no idea this was happening. I didn’t receive any kind of heads up. Had I known, I would have planned ahead.”
“As if entering a new class space isn’t stressful enough, worrying about if you’re going to find parking doesn’t help. It’s also been very loud, which is somewhat disruptive when you’re trying to be in a learning mindset,” Jackson-Pigliapoco said.
The emailed memo stated, “only basement and ground levels of PS3 will remain open for parking. To help reduce congestion we encourage you to utilize the following alternative parking locations:
Parking Structure 4 (PS4)
Student Service Center (SSC) Lot
Lot 1
Lot 5
Terry Kamibayashi, the Director of Facility Maintenance, explained the specifics of the maintenance project in a statement to the Corsair: “The work being done in parking structure 3 includes concrete refurbishment, which encompasses patch and repair to locations with concrete spalling and exposed rebar. Also there is resurfacing of drive lanes and restriping of parking stalls.”
Kamibayashi also said the maintenance work will “extend the useful life of the parking structure.”
The Santa Monica College Masterplan, published on the schools website, lays out a larger plan to preserve and replace campus infrastructure through 2029 for future learners.
While many believe the school lacks parking spaces, the plan explains that the overall demand for parking has gone down saying, “The increase in the proportion of courses delivered online has led to a decrease in demand for parking on campus.”
Santa Monica College already offers public transportation discounts as an eco-friendly option to mitigate issues students may face with travel or parking on campus. By paying the Student Benefits fee of $22.50, students receive a free tap card, and access to over 13 different transit systems across southern California including the Big Blue Bus, and LA Metro.
Sophomore Maliyah Ponce lives in the Hollywood area and recently began taking advantage of these benefits.
“I thought driving to school was more convenient until I started taking the bus," she said.
Ponce explained that it’s helped relieve the burden of gas prices, while also helping her focus.
She said, “I’m not having to fill up my tank as often, and the 30 plus minutes of not having to drive gives me time to relax before going into rigorous summer classes.”
Outside of parking and travel, the document also lays out future goals to modernize and lower the environmental impact within indoor learning spaces.
One of the main points within this plan aims to increase the amount of natural light available in the classroom. This not only lowers the campus’s dependence on electricity, but also benefits student health and success.
This concept has already been implemented in the construction of the new math and science building which opened during the Spring 2025 semester.
Kamiyahashi addressed the timeline for the current PS3 project and how it might affect students as the Fall semester approaches saying, “The schedule for this project has a completion date of August 22. We are prepared for any delays in the schedule and will work with the contractor to limit or minimize disruption during the Fall Semester.”