With the rapid increase of gas prices in the past year, some students are choosing alternatives to driving.
Lakefront Lines bus service stops daily in front of The Oasis, 70 University Terrace, to transport travelers to destinations such as Columbus or Cleveland. They get most of their business in Athens from Ohio University students.
Gordon Cooper, manager of Lakefront Lines' regular routes, said they have seen an increase in business because of the rising gas prices, but he would not call it significant.
People are still driving their cars
he said.
OU senior Christine Cvelbar is one of those people. The rising gas prices have not prevented her from driving home, she said. Because the bus could take longer and because she's heard horror stories about it, she has never considered taking it and continues to drive when she visits home. (According to the Lakefront Lines Web site, a trip from Athens to Columbus takes about an hour and 45 minutes.)
However, she saves by using credit card rewards and avoiding driving in Athens.
I only fill up my gas tank when I go home she said.
OU junior Chris Toothman said the high gas prices have definitely changed his traveling, even though he no longer has a car. He now gets rides from friends, but said that these days, it is more important to chip in for gas.
It's more apparent that you have to have a monetary transaction Toothman said.
As gas became more expensive, Lakefront Lines has had to raise their prices. A one-way trip from Athens to Columbus now costs $32, according to their Web site. A one-way trip from Athens to Cleveland costs $50.
We have to stay in business ourselves
Cooper said.
While on campus, many, like Cvelbar and Toothman, walk or ride their bikes to get where they need to go. Others use CATS, OU's shuttle service.
In the past two years, CATS has seen a steady increase in riders, said Doug Lape, assistant director for transportation and parking services. However, he said this doesn't have as much to do with gas prices as it has to do with the reliability of the service and the notoriety it has gained.
We're getting the word out that we have a shuttle
Lape said.
The service is free to everyone and could be a solution for the tight parking situation in Athens, he said.
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Erin Barker
