Some Sacramento State students and faculty spend more than half an hour driving to school and at least another 15 minutes driving up and down the parking structures trying to find an available parking space, all the while racing the clock to get to class on time. Students and faculty fed up with this routine start to ask the question “Are there alternatives?”

The answer is yes. Many alternative modes of transportation are available for student and faculty use. Carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling and walking are all options that students have when choosing their form of transportation. Public transportation options, such as light rail, Regional Transit buses and Hornet Express shuttle buses, are also available for students to take advantage of at little or no cost.

“The roadways can be pretty congested when students and faculty arrive to campus at the same time, but using alternate transportation alleviates congestion,” said Kevan Shafizadeh, professor of civil engineering who conducts transportation surveys on campus every spring.

According to the Spring 2009 Transportation Intercept Survey performed by Shafizadeh and his civil engineering students, the majority of students still choose to drive solo in their own cars.

Shafizadeh’s student-led survey team, which surveyed 339 students, staff and faculty at random, determined that approximately 69 percent of the campus community surveyed used driving alone as its primary mode of transportation, 9 percent carpooled, 10 percent used public transportation and 12 percent biked or walked. The survey also showed that convenience and comfort is the greatest factor that influences the mode of transportation students and faculty choose to use.

To bring the single-driver percentage down, Associated Students, Inc., has partnered with University Transportation and Parking Services in efforts to encourage use of alternative transportation.

Last semester, ASI bought and installed 20 new bike racks across campus. This semester, Peak Adventures and Power Inn Alliance, a transportation advocacy group that partners with Sac State, gave out 75 new bikes to residents of the Upper Eastside Lofts in hopes that more students, faculty and staff will use bicycles instead of air-polluting cars to get to school.

“In an era where we’re very conscious of our carbon footprint, it’s very important as a university to look at ways to promote a reduction in our carbon footprint,” said ASI President Roberto Torres. “Doing a little bit, like not driving a car every day, contributes to that.”

The impact of ASI’s efforts to promote alternative transportation are still hard to make out.

According to information provided by UTAPS Senior Director Nancy Fox, the number of students that purchased parking permits this semester in comparison to last semester is almost the same. This semester, less carpool and motorcycle parking permits have been purchased. Residence hall parking permits were the only category of permits that increased. The difference was 90 permits.

Torres also said that last semester’s ASI board was more focused on exploring alternate transportation options than this semester’s board.

“Last year the board took action on bikes. This semester, our education as a whole, is the main concern. We will be devoting more resourced on bigger issues than on promoting a sustainable campus,” Torres said.

Fox, however, is not discouraged.

She said, “If everyone uses alternative transportation one out of five days each week, commuting has been reduced by 20 percent. That effort makes a difference in the air quality and traffic congestion in the Sacramento region.”

Not only does the use of alternative transportation benefit the environment, but it also benefits student and faculty financially through less money spent on gas and car repairs.

“The use of alternative transportation has increase as the economy has become weaker. Some students have mentioned they are trying to find ways to reduce their spending. Driving their car less is a step in the right direction,” Fox said.

Torres agrees. He said that with parking and enrollment fees going up and gas prices fluctuating, students are finding alternate ways of getting to campus.

An improved parking situation on campus is one of the promises of alternate transportation.

“While Sac State is experiencing a very good parking condition during fall 2009, more use of alternate transportation will help increase the number of available parking spaces,” Fox said.

Fox said on the first day of school, there were approximately 1,200 available parking spaces at 11:30 a.m., even though the first day of classes is usually the hardest day to find parking.

This is due in part by additional carpool spaces that have been added this semester to parking structures I and III by UTAPS.

Besides carpooling, another popular alternate method of transportation is using Regional Transit. The number of student commuter sleeves distributed in fall 2008 was 15,300. That’s almost as many commuter sleeves issued as single-driver parking permits.

RT is so widely used that students voted for a RT fee increase in the April 28-29 election. Starting in the spring 2010 semester, the RT fee will increase by $5.

While the pressure is on to use alternative transportation, Shafizadeh does not think it has to be something uncomfortable or inconvenient.

“Most people tend to forget how walking and riding the bus can be fun and adventurous,” Shafizadeh said.

Inna Gritsak can be reached at [email protected].