At the beginning of every term, students can be seen lining up in Neuberger Hall to buy their parking passes for the term. It’s not uncommon to see fliers posted around the window, letting students know that certain parking passes have already run out. Based on this observation, I had always assumed that more students drove to campus than went by alternative means. This is where I was wrong.
Students, who mostly live in some sort of financial debt, can save incredible amounts of money by purchasing and using the Transit FlexPass instead of a parking pass, utilizing the Portland Streetcar, Tri-Met buses or the MAX. Looking at the fees alone, a parking pass for a full-time student costs $267 per term, versus the FlexPass, which costs $150 per term. In addition to the fee, student drivers have to fork out gas money, and at $3 plus a gallon, these fees add up quickly. To a student on a budget, these expenses can be incredibly steep.
Regardless of the cost of driving to campus, I had thought that students would still prefer this method to taking public transportation. Being a public transportation user myself, I can see how driving is easier, quicker and gives you a direct route to your destination. Logically, I thought most students would take advantage of that and be more willing to pay to have it. But when I discovered how many students each term buy parking passes, compared to how many students buy FlexPasses, I was pleasantly surprised.
To this date in winter term, 3,200 parking passes have been sold, and 3,200 Tri-Met FlexPasses have been sold. These figures do not reflect the number of students who drive to school and pay for street parking, or the number of students who take public transportation without a FlexPass. But I must say, the numbers are closer than I thought they would be.
At this point, it’s easy to wonder if students are not only taking into account the price of driving to campus, but also taking into account other advantages public transportation offers, such as the environmental advantage. It can be incredibly challenging to be environmentally friendly as a student without making significant lifestyle choices. Realistically, many students live on a tight budget, so getting a more energy-efficient automobile, like a hybrid, is fairly out of the question, simply based on the cost of buying one.
As environmental consciousness has been spreading, it seems that students are jumping on board with the trend. It seems everywhere you go on campus there are advertisements for helping the environment or “going green.” In fact, you can’t even walk down the street anymore without being harassed by Greenpeace volunteers asking if you’d rather save a polar bear or a tree. Maybe public transportation is one method students are using to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and help the environment.
Perhaps the health advantages also play into the decisions of commuter students. PSU seems to be promoting good student health with their second “Biggest Loser” competition, which advocates good lifestyle choices. Using public transportation requires some level of walking to get to your stop. Students can also use their bicycles to get to stops and can take their bikes on the streetcar, bus or MAX, making it easy to work at good health by using public transportation.
Some credit really needs to go to the Portland State Parking and Transportation Department. Outside the transportation window in Neuberger Hall, you can see fliers posted advertising not just parking passes, but FlexPasses, as well as mention of the Flexcar system. Also, on the Parking and Transportation website, arrival times for Tri-Met buses are always updated and listed. I think on some level, the department’s treatment of all options can definitely inform students of all their possibilities, before they give in and simply buy a parking pass.
Whatever the motivation, the fact that the amount of student drivers is close to the number of public transportation users is refreshing. Even if students are taking public transportation out of financial necessity, the payout is better for both the student and the environment.