With 20,000 students battling it out for 9,000 student parking spaces, alternative transportation provides for a mode of travel far less chaotic, according to UTAPS.

“One of the best kept secrets on campus is that students can ride the Hornet shuttle and Light Rail for free,” Employee Transportation Coordinator Trish Evans said.

The Hornet Shuttle is a service that runs to the “Campus/La Riviera,” “Fulton/Bell” and “Howe/Arden Fair” areas.

University fees pay for the free use of Regional Transit, including Light Rail.

Both are available to students for free when they show their OneCard with the current semester?s validation sticker.

Some students are unaware of alternatives to the long lines and costly permit fees.

English Major Matt Barrish wasn?t aware of free rides on the Hornet Shuttle or Regional Transit. “That?s pretty cool, though. I drive to school from Placerville, so I probably wouldn?t use it,” he said.

“Many people are willing to do it, but their schedule doesn?t allow for it,” Evans said.

Ninety-five percent of students live off-campus or commute according to university data.

With work and school, public transportation is not ideal for some students, Evans said, but she?s always happy to help students resolve ways to get to school using public transit.

“I?m kind of an alternative transportation nerd,” Evans said. Evans hasn?t parked on campus since 1996 and uses buses and light rail to commute from Orangevale to work each day.

Students have followed her lead. Sacramento Regional Transit conducted a survey in October of 2001 that reported 819,390 student riders, and the Hornet Shuttle reports 120,639 riders for the 2000/2001 school year.

“Our goal is to continue to strongly encourage the use of alternative commute options and to continually increase the number of people who participate in these options,” Evans said.The UTAPS site links to a carpooler-matching site, www.1800commute.org, which finds carpoolers in your area to share rides with.

“The alternatives are crucial,” said Evans. “In addition to the issue of parking availability on campus, we have air quality issues in the Sacramento Region.”

In May, Sacramento was found to be the tenth smoggiest metropolitan area, according to the American Lung Association.