Rising gasoline prices could impact students' travel plans

By Rachel Schwartz

Soaring fuel prices have forced some students to change their driving habits, while others have to pay extra to go home.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in San Jose is $3.36, an 80 cent increase over this same week last year.

Commuter Lisa Duncan drove to school from her Fremont home every day for the past four years. In the past, Duncan would come to Santa Clara for minor errands. She now thinks hard about every trip.

"This year, I try to do as much as possible over e-mail and the phone," Duncan said.

Santa Clara has about 613 undergraduate commuter students from around the Bay Area who are dependent on cars to see friends and get to classes and meetings.

"The gas prices affect commuter students to a much higher degree than they do on-campus and very near off-campus students," said Mike Harvey, presidential fellow with the Office of Student Life.

The West Coast continues to be the nation's most expensive region for gas prices, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The majority of commuter students drive about 15 minutes to get to school from home, Harvey said.

While the drive might be short, the commute adds up. Duncan said that she was at the gas station "all the time."

As a way to avoid paying a premium for gas, she tried not to get gas at stations near the freeway.

The national average for the price of a gallon of gas is $2.93, 43 cents less than the San Jose average.

Complaining about prices or sharing information about the cheapest gas has become an icebreaker for some students.

"It's a conversation starter," Christopher Zures said.

Some of the cheapest gas near Santa Clara can currently be found at the Arco station at the intersection of Homestead Road and Kiely Boulevard.

Harvey has tried to organize student carpools, but his efforts have elicited a poor response, in part due to the diversity in student schedules.

While the average gas price is far above prices in past years, a late spring increase is normal.

Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start of the summer travel season, and gas prices rise as the holiday approaches.

Some students have turned to the Bronco Bus as a way to get away from campus while saving money on fuel.

"It's always a concern when you're thinking of places to go," sophomore Anna Grudsky said.

The Bronco Bus, a service that shuttles students to local destinations such as Santa Cruz or Los Gatos some weekends, has seen an increase in its ridership this year in comparison to previous years.

Students from out of state preparing to return home for the summer have felt a less direct sting from price increases.

With oil prices topping $70 per barrel, the price of jet fuel has also increased dramatically in the past few months.

The resulting increase in airline tickets prices has impacted some students' travel plans for Memorial Day weekend.

Becky Dieschbourg, a freshman from Chicago, had planned to fly home at the beginning of June to attend her younger brother's graduation, but, because of the price of plane tickets, her parents said it wasn't worth the money.

In the past, tickets have cost around $200 for Dieschbourg. This year they cost around $100 extra.

"Since I don't drive, I hadn't noticed that gas prices went up," Dieschbourg said.

Dieschbourg and others with the same predicament continue to check airline ticket sites regularly in hopes of finding a last minute deal. However, Dieschbourg conceded that, eventually, she will probably have to pay the extra money to go home.

Contact Rachel Schwartz at (408) 554-4546 or rschwartz@scu.edu.