All Las Positas College students all pay a transportation fee, $9 for full time students, $8 for part time students each semester including summer session. With this fee students can ride the Wheels bus by showing their student ID.
Riding the bus can save students money, reduce traffic, help reduce air pollution and can be safer as the risk of collision is reduced.
Wheels bus 30R serves LPC with service every 15 minutes during most of the day. The 30R goes west to both Dublin/Pleasanton BART stations with access to several shopping centers and the Stoneridge mall. East the bus goes to the Livermore Transit Center where one can transfer to the ACE train and then the bus goes along East Avenue to LLNL/Sandia transit hub.
On an average day that school is in session 430 people, ride the bus to and from LPC. It is assumed that most of these are students.
LPC student Luis Cruz, a computer science major, rides the bus to LPC every school day, said “riding the bus is cheaper than driving”. A parking pass at LPC is $40 a semester. Treasure Domingo, LPC student and ICC treasurer said when asked why he rides the bus “Why not, the bus stops right by my home and on campus, it is convenient”. Add the expense of owning a car and gas, and that makes it much more expensive to drive to campus.
Persons other than LPC students pay $2 a ride or a monthly pass for $60. The Student Transportation Fee saves the students who take the bus a substantial amount of money for either bus fees or driving/parking costs.
Darren Lin, undecided major, rides his bike to the BART station and stores his bike in a locker then boards the 30R for final transport to LPC. Bicycles can also be carried on the bus, there is a bike rack on the front of the bus.
The Wheels bus service is provided by Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority. LAVTA estimates that they will receive $175,000 this year from LPC’s Student Transportation Fees which is less than 2% of the operating budget for LAVTA.
With more cars on the road every day traffic is getting worse. Riding the bus allows one to relax, read, check e-mail, res or dot, things you cannot do when driving a car. Help reduce traffic and pollution by riding the bus.
Alan Lewis is the photo editor of The Express. Follow him @alolewis1.