Solving the Student Commuting Crisis

By Spencer Linford on June 28, 2016

Student commuting; it’s a huge part of the college experience, but it’s often overlooked by college staff, city planners, and incoming students–an afterthought, rather than a priority. Any current student who lives decently far away from their campus knows the struggle of getting to class early in the morning. There is nothing more frustrating than taking the necessary measures to ensure that you are on time to your bus, only to be driven past by a full metro bus with nothing more than a shrug from the bus driver for consolation. This sad scene has become an increasingly common problem for commuting students in general and for UC Santa Cruz commuters in particular.

While UC Santa Cruz has one of the most beautiful campuses in all of California, its unique location makes it  difficult to access, especially for students who live more than a few miles away from the university. Streamlining student commuting has always been a priority for The Santa Cruz Metro Transit District (SCMTD) and UCSC’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) department, but recent budget cuts and increased numbers of students have compromised efforts to provide fast and reliable public transportation to college students. While cutting public transportation is a huge issue for local politics, it shouldn’t affect university students commuting… right?

Not necessarily.

Strangely enough, UCSC students are one of the demographics most affected by the SCMTD budget cuts. Less money means fewer buses, which means less room for students who are already struggling to get to class. Compounding this stress on student commuting is UCSC’s move to accept more students for the upcoming academic year. While the current number of students at UCSC may have been able to adapt to fewer bus routes, it is unlikely that an even larger student body will be making it to class on time with fewer buses.

So, what’s a student to do? You could buy a car, but on a strict lentils-only diet, maybe a car isn’t the most economically viable solution. You could take Uber to class everyday (cheaper than owning a car), but it’s a tad excessive. If a car isn’t in your budget and Uber is too eccentric for your taste, maybe its time to fix up your old bike from home.

Biking is perhaps one of the easiest solutions to the problem of reduced public transportation for college students. It may seem daunting at first, but in reality, biking to campus is far easier (and often faster) than dealing with crowded metros. Biking is, of course, not a perfect substitute for responsible city and university planning, but it’s close.

Not only is a bike a more reliable student commuting option than the metro, but cycling regularly is guaranteed to deliver some pleasant surprises. A recent study by McMaster University found that college students exercise (on average) less frequently than when they were in high school. This makes sense. It’s hard enough to juggle school, work, and a social life, let alone a regular exercise schedule. So, why not kill two birds with one stone and exercise while you arrive punctually to that 10 a.m. lab?

Getting started biking couldn’t be easier, especially in California. Municipalities across the Golden State are implementing new programs to increase the efficacy and safety of bike routes. Here in Santa Cruz, there are a variety of organizations including The Bike Church and The California Bike Coalition that help people get out and start riding in a matter of hours. Even UCSC offers a bike shuttle service which runs circles around the local metro and helps bicyclists navigate the steep hills of Santa Cruz.

But it’s not all about getting from point A to point B. While increased cycling initiatives are a prospective solution to the student commuting crisis, they also offer students the chance to experience the beauty of the city of Santa Cruz from a completely different vantage point than a metro commuter. “I wouldn’t trade my commute to and from campus for anything,” said third-year biology major Amin Cressman. “You wouldn’t think it, but there is actually  a lot of beautiful scenery that you miss when you drive to campus.”

Even if you go to a college that doesn’t seem biker-friendly, ask your transportation department about the options available to you. Most college communities have some sort of bike co-op which would be more than happy to set you up with your own bike and get you out there riding.

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