Emily Leach is the opinion editor of the Daily Titan. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the Daily Titan as a whole.
Cal State Fullerton’s “commuter school” label fosters a culture of constant movement. Bustling traffic and the constant battle for a parking spot can make the $334 parking permit price tag a hefty financial burden among the array of fees students are responsible for.
With around 97% of students living off campus, overlooking alternative transportation directly limits students’ ability to realize their potential success on campus. As a designated “commuter school,” CSUF must fulfill its responsibility of providing and promoting accessible public transportation options for its students.
CSUF prides itself on its mission to empower current and aspiring Titans. These empowerment efforts should extend beyond school spirit and community building to address the difficulty of getting to that said environment.
Melissa Baez, the academic advisor for urban learning at CSUF, explained that student success hinges on the university’s ability to address student needs.
“Our students say yes in their offer of being admitted because… there’s something about our university that draws them in,” Baez said. “And so, given that we’re welcoming them in, it’s important that we give back to them, too.”
CSUF’s focus on its local student body positions university leaders to acknowledge a need for a more effective way of commuting, including options that expand beyond Southern California’s traditional transit culture, which heavily revolves around personal vehicles.
The underuse of public transportation by college students is also perpetuated by the underfunding of public transit in California.
With major deficits and funding shortfalls facing California’s public transit network, commuter systems such as Metrolink have had to cut programs like the Student Adventure Pass, which offered free transportation to verified students, and instead opt for 50% reduced-rate programs.
Olivia Hernandez, a second-year business administration and political science major, stated that a lack of marketing resulted in a missed opportunity of money saved on public transportation.
“The Adventure Pass was super beneficial to a lot of people. The thing is, the only reason why I didn’t use it was because I didn’t realize it was available,” Hernandez said. “If I did know, I would have used that because I did take the bus for two or three semesters. That was a good $200, $300 I could have saved.”
CSUF is currently partnered with the Orange County Transportation Authority to offer the University Bus Pass. For a prepaid amount of $100 per semester, the U-Pass offers transportation to local universities.
Though the U-Pass offers a cost-effective alternative for students, CSUF’s lack of promotion for this mode of transportation leaves the pass unutilized by many who may benefit from it.
“I had to find out on my own, and I think I got lucky that another student told me that you can actually purchase a bus pass,” Hernandez said. “I thought I was going to have to pay two dollars every ride.”
CSUF’s offer of reduced public transportation rates is rendered ineffective when not properly promoted. Since student resources are already frequently underutilized, many unknowingly let affordability pass them by due to a lack of promotion.
With students spending nearly 17% of their college funds on transportation, taking public transit to school proves to be no cheap feat.
Srihita Kotturi, a second-year biology major, expressed the solace that reduced transportation rates have, given her frequent trips from her on-campus housing to her hometown.
“Because I go home so frequently, I hate spending that much money. But, I don’t really have a choice, I have to go home,” Kotturi said. “So it would be a lot more, I guess, relieving in a way if there were cheaper options, because I do not need to be spending that much money.”
Additional transportation costs piled upon the minimum $25,000 necessary to attend CSUF overwhelms the financial stresses university students are already experiencing.
If students are subject to an underfunded, underpromoted and unreliable public transit system, fewer students will be eager to utilize these alternative means of transportation.
A university built for a commuter population must provide infrastructure designed to support student transportation needs. Dismissing the vitality of public transit options to prioritize CSUF’s car culture ultimately thwarts the success of students without access to their own personal transportation.