Cars, motorcycles, scooters and buses - with the ups and downs in gas prices, motorized vehicle transportation is becoming more of an issue on students' minds.

Because of the economic crises and oil booms, students are considering alternative modes of transportation.

One popular form of alternative transportation among BYU students is the scooter.

"This year has been the biggest year in sales since we opened," said David Hurtado, owner of the Scooter Lounge.

Hurtado said a couple of years ago, scooters were being bought because they "looked cool." Now, being environmentally aware has gained priority, and many students use them to save money on gas, he said.

Hurtado gave an easy breakdown in pricing for a scooter:

"Say you buy a $3,000 scooter and finance it at $50 a month. The scooter can get between 70 to 100 miles per gallon. With a two-gallon tank, you are only spending about $20 in gas per month. That makes the total price of your scooter less than $100 per month."

Leah Leach, a junior from Sacramento, Calif., said she agrees that scooters are "a better choice" than cars.

"I am not even bothering to buy a car because the gas mileage [for scooters] is amazing," Leach said.

The new scooter trend has more than doubled the amount of motorcycle permits issued on campus.

BYU parking supervisor Treena Bolingbroke said the usual number of motorcycle permits, which includes scooters, is around 700. This year, Bolingbroke said 1,500 permits were issued

With students paying less for gas on a scooter, free parking permits are another incentive for motorized transportation to campus.

Like scooters, riding the bus allows students to be dropped off on campus and not have to worry about scrambling to find a parking spot before class.

Heather Burgess, a junior from Palmdale, Calif., said riding the bus is much easier and less stressful than finding a parking spot on campus.

Even during the upcoming winter months, Burgess said her transportation choice will still be the bus because she will be on time for class, even if the bus is 10 minutes late.

Adam Ruri, BYUSA president from Upper Hutt, New Zealand, said students were surprised this year when learning UTA bus passes had once again risen in price. But Ruri said passes, which now cost $120 a year, are still a great price.

He said BYU does not charge fees, keeping the tuition low. Because of this, Ruri said BYU has to charge for bus passes, unlike UVU and other Utah Universities.

Concerning the switch to free parking passes and paid bus passes, Ruri said BYU had a federal grant which paid for the bus passes. After the grant ran out, bus passes were no longer free.

Ruri said UTA charges about $1,000 a year for adult bus passes, but only charges BYU students $120 a year.

"They are running a business and I support them for that," Ruri said. "Students need to understand that the pass price, although it has risen, is still amazing."



Copyright Brigham Young University 8 Oct 2008