The steady upward climb of gas prices is nothing new.
I remember how gas prices were less than a dollar per gallon when I first got my license and how I could fill my whole tank for twenty bucks. Now I’m not fazed when I see that gas prices have nearly doubled, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve filled my gas tank completely.
It’s tough on our pockets to fill the tank, and students know this more than anyone. It hurts to spend a couple bucks on gas to drive to campus, then find a parking spot to plug a couple more bucks into before going to classes that cost thousands of dollars for tuition and books.
But this is America — the land where bigger is better, and the race for material things is never-ending. When I went to myfootprint.org for a simple biology assignment last semester, I was appalled to find out that if everyone lived like I did, we would need three Earths to sustain our lifestyle.
If we’re gobbling up so many resources like they are limitless, it might be a good idea for us to do any little things we can to help the environment. Maybe we should start paying attention to the “decrease your daily impact” commercials on MTV and do just that.
A college campus is a good starting point for planning. The next generations of the best and brightest are walking across campuses all over the nation.
And walk they should. Or pedal a bike. Or sit on a bus.
On campus, we’ve got a multitude of transportation options. Our University is a bike-friendly campus, as long as you can keep them from getting stolen. With the exception of the classes on Centennial Campus, most of the buildings are within walking distance from each other.
And with parking options dwindling with each passing semester, it seems the only form of transportation that’s a real hassle on campus is driving. The parking spaces that are available are often outrageously priced anyways, with ValPark now at a whopping $325 per semester.
I had to drive to campus one day last week due to an obligation right after class, and it was ridiculous. Between pay lots and meters, I had to move my car about three times and pay about nine dollars for the day. Even that was much better than the alternate of getting towed, which will happen in about 5 seconds here in Raleigh.
It’s about time for students and faculty to get their feet off the gas pedal and onto bike pedals, to stop waiting for parking spots and start waiting for buses.
I hope more people participating in alternate methods of transportation would start a snowball effect. More walkers, bikers, and bus riders mean fewer cars on campus. Fewer cars on campus means more parking for those who need it most (like those students, faculty and staff members driving in from out of town), and an even more pedestrian-friendly campus.
Fewer drivers would also help some of the oil and pollution problems facing all of us. It would also be a lot easier on our pockets, and we wouldn’t have to stress every time gas prices went up another cent or two. There’s a good chance gas prices will keep rising, and who wants to burn four bucks in gas cruising Hillsborough Street at lunch time hoping to find a parking spot?
In coming years, as gas prices are expected to soar, campus will probably become more and more bike- and pedestrian-friendly. That makes now a perfect opportunity to start relying less on cars and more on sidewalks and bus benches.
E-mail Amy at viewpoint@technicianonline.com
