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Carpooling
saves students time and cash
With
the new semester comes one major challenge
more frustrating than searching for open
classes or waiting in the bookstore lines:
finding parking.
This
ritual lasts only a few weeks until the
hubbub dies down and people stop attending
all their classes, but until that happens,
the situation is mendable.
Students
should take advantage of the carpooling,
radio and shuttle options.
Carpooling
gives students the chance to be social during
the commute. It also gives them a pass into
the carpool-only lane, which is a huge plus
during rush-hour traffic on the way to those
8 a.m. classes.
Sharing
the ride takes the stress off driving to
school. The extra person can help you get
to class on time and calm us from stressful
road rage. Cars were built with a passenger
seat for a reason, not so we can all drive
everywhere in separate cars. Carpoolers
have a ticket out of traffic frustrations,
and can share the pains of getting to class
on time. It is a bonding experience. If
enough people carpool, there will be half
as many cars on the roads and, perhaps one
day, we will not need a carpool lane to
induce people to share.
Sharing
your car also saves you money. During the
year, commuters spend approximately $200
per month according to the Commuter Choice
Web site. That estimate includes gas, insurance,
parking and the wear on your vehicle. Using
the available bus and carpool programs,
students can save money on their Online
campus commute. This can also be used to
benefit those who have jobs outside school.
Some employers offer a tax cut for those
who use Commuter Choice programs where the
employee does not have to pay FICA or federal
and state income tax for receiving free
transportation.
Even
if you do not take advantage of these programs,
carpooling to school reduces wear and tear
on the car, gas costs and the price of parking
on campus.
Another
advantage of carpooling is that it is good
for the environment because it cuts the
amount of pollutants sent into the atmosphere.
Instead of each person polluting their Online
share, the number is cut in half with ridesharing.
Air
pollution is a contributing cause to lung
cancer, and living in a large city increases
the risk of contracting and dying from lung
cancer, according to a study found in the
Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study found that the number of deaths
from lung cancer increased by eight percent
for each increase of 10 micrograms per cubic
meter of air. Though we all like warm summer
days, the greenhouse effect is not a positive
consequence of driving to the Beach.
Using
public transportation is also an option,
after all, it exists simply to transport
us places. We might as well take advantage
of these newfangled ideas. Using the bus
will allow for last minute study time which
cannot be attempted behind the wheel of
a car.
Those
who live closer to campus can walk, roller-blade,
bike ride, skateboard, or scooter. The exercise
will do you good, and not having to park
saves time, as well as the money you would
have spent on an expensive parking permit.
CSULB
offers a carpool program, which saves the
best spots for carpoolers who arrive to
campus together and carpool at least two
days per week. Students should utilize the
park-and-ride system also, but you must
allow more time for the shuttle and getting
to class. Information is available at the
Parking, Transportation and Event Services
building located next to the parking structure.
Overall,
carpooling and public transportation are
great ideas and students should put them
to use. It saves time, money and stress
and is good for the environment.
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