Carpooling offers one  answer to traffic, cost of gasoline

By Kelsey Campbell, Jennafer Wiebelhaus and Nicholas Anderson

VCNC reporters

Thousands of Ventura College students travel to and from school every day. Many of the students are from cities other than Ventura, such as Fillmore, Santa Paula and Camarillo.

Carpooling is one option that can help cut travel costs and save time.

According to the Ventura College website, only 36 percent of students are located in Ventura. The other 64 percent are scattered around the county, with more than 9 percent in Santa Paula, 4.81 percent in Fillmore and 8.41 percent in Camarillo.

The California Energy Commission said that the average cost of gas is $3.29 a gallon, forcing many students to budget heavily to fill up their tanks.

Peak congestion times on the freeway are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., which is also the time many students travel to school. Carpooling can help cut the congestion. It is also a good way to cut pollution and slow down global warming. “Clean air helps everybody,” said Jim Carriger, VC’s Ride Rule facilitator.

Ventura College promotes carpooling by offering a Student Carpool Permit at a reduced price of $25 for the semester, compared to $40 for a regular permit. “Any student who certifies that he/she regularly has 2 or more passengers commuting to Ventura College in his/her vehicle may qualify for reduced parking,” the Ventura College Web site states.

The permit also allows for front-row parking and cuts down on the time it takes to find an open spot.

To purchase a carpool permit, contact the Student Business Office at Ventura College. Log onto www.Carpoolconnect.com to find other local commuters and more information on carpooling.