At the start of each semester the office of University Transportation & Parking Services fills up with students, money in hands, ready to buy their $108 semester parking passes. Far less student traffic is seen requesting student commuter passes that provide free transportation on the Hornet Shuttle and Sacramento Regional Transit.

Sacramento State students have the opportunity to save a nice chunk of change by riding the Hornet Shuttle or Sacramento Regional Transit to school instead of driving and parking their cars on campus. Yet, with the option, many still choose the latter over the former.

In a car that gets 25 miles per gallon, a student living within three to five miles of campus can save at the very least $150 to $200 a semester by taking public transportation to school. If a student lives further which is the case for many students on this “commuter campus,” the money saved simply increases.

Some may be quick to shoot down this savings argument by pointing to the costs of public transportation – time and convenience. Public transportation has been labeled too time-consuming and inconvenient to be an efficient source of transportation, especially in our California culture which demands constant speed and mobility. This negative image of public transit has steered many students away from catching the bus to and from campus.

Public transportation is more efficient than many believe. A little bit of planning and the right attitude can make riding the bus a worthwhile habit.

My time to school is 30 minutes each day. Some days I end up arriving at school 30 minutes before class begins but I’m able to use that time to read for my classes, grab some breakfast and make it to Amador Hall without rushing to get a seat in a crowded classroom.

My ride from school to home takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. It’s 15 to 30 minutes longer than it would take driving but I’m able to use that time to do homework I know I’ll procrastinate on once home. Time spent waiting and riding the bus isn’t time wasted if it is used.

Buses run every 15 to 30 minutes from campus to downtown. Sac RT routes run less often to Arden Way, Howe Avenue, La Riviera Drive or Fulton Avenue – areas densely populated with Sac State students. Because buses come less frequently, taking Sac RT from these areas can be more time consuming than it is worth for students.

To provide better coverage of these areas, UTAPS runs the Hornet Shuttle bus service. The Hornet Shuttle service, which is funded with revenue from campus parking violations, runs Monday through Friday to give students living near the aforementioned streets more choice and flexibility when using public transportation. If planned right, students can get to school from most places in Sacramento within an hour using the Hornet Shuttle or Sac RT or a combination of both.

For some students who don’t use public transportation, it may just not be a viable option. There are places to be and things to do directly before, after or during school. No time to wait. But for others students, it is an option – an option just not tried or considered.

Free public transportation is not something offered by all of the other CSU campuses. A Sac RT monthly student pass is $42.50. That makes the semester student computer pass Sac State offers worth $255. Both Sac RT and UTAPS are doing a great service to the school by offering free public transportation.

It does take more time to ride the bus to school than it does to drive. This can seem like a disadvantage when the advantages go undiscovered. There are advantages to riding the bus – including less gas, less car mileage, no parking fees, no time spent circling the lot for a space, and time to and from school to do homework, read or just relax.

Information about Sacramento Regional Transit and the Hornet Shuttle is available at the Student Union information desk as well as online. An online trip planner for Sac RT is also available at http://infortp.sacrt.com/.

Choquette Marrow can be reached at [email protected]