Utah currently has the third highest gas prices is the country, perhaps making summer road trips and weekend getaways to Wendover a thing of a past. One alternative some Salt Lake Community College students have considered to alleviate the pressure of soaring gas prices is to use different ways of getting to school. SLCC student, Kim Chee, has found a cheaper way of getting to school by taking UTA.
Part of SLCC’s student fees go to a partnership with UTA’s Ed-Pass Program which provides students with a bus pass that can be used for discounts on frontrunner and express buses. Chee says that her time on the bus can be relaxing and help her get ready for her day. Even though taking the bus has benefits to the environment, Chee says that the reason she takes the bus is because it is convenient and that helping the environment is a bonus.
Other students feel like having the bus pass available is a good fallback. Ana Ruiz drives to school but still has a bus pass. “You never know when you may need it,” says Ruiz.
In an informal student poll, 80 percent of students take a car to school; Jared Willis is one of those students. Willis, an English major, says that facility is the main reason. SLCC’s Taylorsville Redwood campus is on his way home from work so driving is the easiest way for him to get to school.
If convenience is a factor in driving, another method for students is carpooling. Natalie Thi, an English Major, carpools with her friend as often as she can. Thi said that saving money was a big factor in carpooling but that, “[It’s] sometimes nice to talk to someone. Nice way to de-stress.”
Thi says that even though carpooling is great, it has its drawbacks. For instance, carpooling doesn’t make it easy to stay after class when needed. Thi, however, still recommends carpooling, but only with close friends.