Student use of alternate transportation on the rise

By: Kimberly Lien

Posted: 2/27/07

According to an Associated Students survey completed in November 2006, the amount of San Jose State University students using alternative transportation has increased by more than 10 percent over the last five years.

"Ten percent effectiveness is very good," said A.S. Transportation Solutions Manager Eyedin Zonobi. "We're in the business of changing people's behavior."

According to an informational handout put together by Zonobi, there has been a 200 percent increase in the amount of alternative transportation usage by SJSU students since the department's creation in August 2000.

"Fewer cars come to campus. There is less of an impact on parking facilities (and) an increase in safety and improvement of air quality," Zonobi said.

For the purposes of the survey, the term alternative transportation encompasses: VTA bus and light rail, regional transit - such as Caltrain - carpooling and bicycling.

According to the survey results, 86 percent of those who responded come to campus directly from home, and 84 percent return directly home afterward.

Also, 68 percent of the respondents said they were employed, with 21 percent employed full time and 47 percent employed part time.

"This is very important," Zonobi said. "It's a very busy population. This population separates their school and work schedule."

Dave Kuo, a junior majoring in Chinese, takes VTA line 72 every day to get to campus.

The distribution of the Eco Pass - which, according to Zonobi, has allowed SJSU students to use VTA bus and light rail services for a discounted fee since 1994 - has allowed Kuo to save time and money on transportation.

"I don't have a car," Kuo said. "I could bike (here), but I would either take the bus or bike. I used to bike to San Jose City College every day."

He also takes a VTA bus to get to and from his workplace, Barnes & Noble, at Eastridge Mall. He said he works mostly over the weekend.

Kuo has noticed that although students take advantage of most modes of alternative transportation, some still drive alone to campus.

"I see a lot of students on my line for sure," Kuo said. "I've noticed them on park and ride. I do see bikes around school, but I always see students driving alone to the parking garages."

The goal of the Transportation Solutions department is to reduce the drive-alone rate to campus, Zonobi said.

"There is a balance that has been created," Zonobi said. "Roughly half of the student population drives alone to campus. The other half is taking alternative transportation."

VTA ridership has increased from 10.2 percent to 24.4 percent since the first commuter survey was conducted in November 2001.

In its first two years, surveys were conducted during classes, since then it has been converted to an online survey.

In Fall 2006, the Transportation Solutions office received 4,323 survey responses out of the 23,450 surveys that were sent out, which results in an 18 percent response rate.

Zonobi said the survey was sent to all SJSU students through the e-mail they provide to the school. However, there are a number that are bounced back due to either address changes or mail filters.

Transportation Solutions uses the results of the survey to gauge the success of its programs.

"We are Bay Area Air Quality Management District grant recipients," Zonobi said. "We get about $100,000 a year from them."

Transportation Solutions has also received numerous awards and recognitions for its innovating programs and measurable results.

Most recently, SJSU was named as one of the 2006 Bay Area Best Workplaces for Commuters by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"This is probably the most successful transportation demand management program of all universities in California," Zonobi said. "It's definitely most successful in the California State University (system)."

Caroline Le, A.S. Director of Campus Climate Affairs, attributes the change in student commuting behavior to the increase in gasoline prices and problems caused by parking congestion.

"It's a progressive change to reduce environmental pollution," Le said, "as well as offer students an opportunity to stroll through the downtown community."

"From pedestrian to cyclist to solo drivers, there is always space to develop and expand current alternatives in order to change the way students commute to campus," Le said.

Le said she commutes by car.

"I attempted to commute by VTA offered through Associated Students, but my schedule and obligations take me on and off campus as far as San Francisco every week," Le said.