Editorial

If you attend classes or work at Portland State, chances are you commute to campus. This is an urban school with limited on-campus housing options. People commute to PSU in a variety of ways, ranging from driving to riding TriMet to bicycling. These all sound like pretty good options, right?

It’s a bit more complex than that.

A Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) survey of students in 2007, published on their Web site, showed that 38 percent of students rode public transit and another 33 percent drove or carpooled. Bicyclists and walkers were represented by surprisingly lower percentages.

Students who drive generally agree that parking on campus is a nightmare. It costs anywhere from $149 to $318 per term for on-site parking. Some cheaper passes enable parking during certain hours or in specific structures, while others cost more and let you park anywhere. However, paying for that pass still doesn’t guarantee you a spot, and you may end up parking on the street anyway.

If you ride with TriMet, you have the choice of purchasing a TriMet pass for $86 a month, or a FlexPass from TAPS for $175 per term. It’s cheaper to go with the FlexPass—a savings of 35 percent, according to TAPS—but you’re still shelling out a pretty penny.

Portland is obsessed with sustainability and promotes alternate modes of transportation. Why not follow the example that the University of Oregon has set?

U of O offers a pretty impressive discount: For students, riding on the public transit system in Eugene and some surrounding areas is free. The school accomplished this by negotiating with Lane Transit District, enabling students to simply use their university-issued IDs instead of purchasing passes.

Negotiating a cheaper fare for students to ride TriMet would solve a lot of our problems. Students who drive to campus could save gas money while saving the environment, and PSU can feel good about “going green.” This also would free up more parking spaces for those who really need to utilize them.
 
Best of all, students who already use TriMet could spend the extra cash on something they really need—like, you know, food that isn’t ramen.