Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Transportation access lacking

Although some of Point Park’s transportation services are convenient, they’ve frustrated me more often than not since I started school here last fall. 

The shuttles are great for students trying to get to Oakland and back, which is where they run to and from the majority of the time, but what about those trying to get to other places? There are shuttles that go to the Waterfront, Stage AE, and other places sometimes on the weekends. However, I think these locations should be accessible to students via a Point Park shuttle at all times.

There are times during the week that myself and many other students would like to get to these off-campus places for free, so I think Point Park should consider having shuttles run to these other locations more often. 

This brings me to another point: the Port Authority buses. The University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Chatham University all have free bus fare on all Port Authority buses at all times to any location. This is because these schools are part of what is called the U-Pass Program. They also have free fares to ride the T anywhere as well as free incline fare. So my question is: Why is Point Park not taking part in the U-Pass Program? 

As a student, I would love to be able to get onto a Port Authority bus and go wherever I want for free. I wouldn’t have to rummage around in the bottom of my backpack for quarters and crumpled up dollar bills just to ride the bus, which would make my life a lot easier.

Point Park is part of a different program that allows students to ride the bus, T or incline at a discounted price of $1, but only within what is referred to as Zone 1 during certain days and times, the details of which aren’t clear on the Transportation section of the University’s website. Zone 1 stretches from Greentree to Morningside and all the places in between. Once a student has crossed into Zone 2, the price goes up from its normal fare rate of $2.50 (or $1, discounted) to $3.75, and the discount no longer applies. 

Port Authority does have a free fare zone, which is within what is known as the Golden Triangle. This allows everyone, not just Point Park students, to ride the bus for free within this zone until 7 p.m. Any time after 7 p.m., the fare is its regular price of $2.50.

This free fare zone is a nice thing to have, but I don’t know any student who rides the bus from one part of the Golden Triangle (Downtown) to another, especially after 7 p.m. when the discount no longer applies. Downtown is small enough that I could walk to where I’m going faster.

The $1.50 discount is nice, but I know myself and other students would prefer if Point Park were part of the U-Pass program. Since Point Park’s discount only starts after a certain time and only on certain days, a lot of the time it makes me not want to even bother going anywhere if I have to pay $2.50 each way when taking a bus. 

Also, a large number of Point Park students are commuters. These students have to pay $5 a day just to get to and from school (if riding a Port Authority bus), and with a college student’s tight budget, $5 a day starts to add up. Students are paying this much because they’re riding the bus outside of the discounted bus fare days and times that Point Park and Port Authority have an agreement on.

There are also some students who drive downtown for classes four days a week…Where are they going to park that’s close to campus and doesn’t cost a fortune? I know that Point Park has discounted parking at Station Square, which is across the Smithfield Street Bridge, but wouldn’t it be nice for students to park somewhere closer to campus? And for free?

I live in Oakland this year and have my car here, so I would also like to have somewhere to park downtown that’s free with my Point Park student ID and is close to campus.

All of these expenses start to add up quickly. As college students, we are paying Point Park a lot of money every year to educate us and provide us with certain amenities, and I think quality transportation is an extremely important amenity that Point Park should consider revising.

 
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