Surge of scooters appear on UA campus this year, but gas prices have not chased away many SUVs and large trucks
Taniah Tudor
Issue date: 1/12/09 Section: News
Though the recent UA Student Poll showed that students think sustainability is one of the most important improvements that could be made on campus, it is not certain this is affecting their personal choice in vehicles.
Andy Gilbride, program adviser for parking, has not seen any general change in the model of cars being driven on campus, he said. The only drastic change that has been seen by the Transit and Parking Department was in the number of scooters on campus at the beginning of the year, he said.
"I would say there are at least 700 scooters around campus," Gilbride said.
The TPD has designated 20 parking areas that allow 10 to 20 scooters per area, he said. Gilbride also pointed out that not as many students are riding their scooters right now because of the cold weather.
Rebekah Horton, a senior English major, drives a "gas-guzzling pick-up," she said. She has thought about changing vehicles for both environmental and economical reasons, but she said she cannot afford to get a new vehicle.
"I would love to drive a smaller, more economical vehicle," Horton said.
Adam Bagwell, a junior in food technology who drives a 1991 Chevrolet Silverado, said buying a different vehicle would cost money that he doesn't really have, even though he knows it would be less expensive in the long run.
Bagwell also doesn't think a car would fit his personality, he said.
"That's why gas being this low is extra good," Bagwell said.
When gas was at its most expensive during the school year, he would ride the bus and bum rides from friends, he said.
Other students also said that they or friends of theirs who drove vehicles that are not fuel-economic would tend to catch rides with friends who had cars with better mileage.
Though gas prices have gone down considerably, they hovered very close to the $4 mark during the first few months of the fall semester.
Students who do drive smaller, more economical vehicles said that they bought them because they had cheaper price tags.
Andy Gilbride, program adviser for parking, has not seen any general change in the model of cars being driven on campus, he said. The only drastic change that has been seen by the Transit and Parking Department was in the number of scooters on campus at the beginning of the year, he said.
"I would say there are at least 700 scooters around campus," Gilbride said.
The TPD has designated 20 parking areas that allow 10 to 20 scooters per area, he said. Gilbride also pointed out that not as many students are riding their scooters right now because of the cold weather.
Rebekah Horton, a senior English major, drives a "gas-guzzling pick-up," she said. She has thought about changing vehicles for both environmental and economical reasons, but she said she cannot afford to get a new vehicle.
"I would love to drive a smaller, more economical vehicle," Horton said.
Adam Bagwell, a junior in food technology who drives a 1991 Chevrolet Silverado, said buying a different vehicle would cost money that he doesn't really have, even though he knows it would be less expensive in the long run.
Bagwell also doesn't think a car would fit his personality, he said.
"That's why gas being this low is extra good," Bagwell said.
When gas was at its most expensive during the school year, he would ride the bus and bum rides from friends, he said.
Other students also said that they or friends of theirs who drove vehicles that are not fuel-economic would tend to catch rides with friends who had cars with better mileage.
Though gas prices have gone down considerably, they hovered very close to the $4 mark during the first few months of the fall semester.
Students who do drive smaller, more economical vehicles said that they bought them because they had cheaper price tags.
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