by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
Next fall, students who are short on gas money and don't like walking will have no excuse to skip class.
House Bill 2, signed by Gov. Bill Richardson on Thursday, includes a $35,000 appropriation that gives students free city bus rides to and from campus.
"A student would just show his or her (student) ID on a bus and be able to ride to UNM," said Democratic Rep. Gail Chasey, who introduced the appropriation. "The parking is so difficult at UNM, and this is also more environmentally friendly."
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Chasey said Mayor Martin Chávez came to her with the idea for the program.
"Although most of my constituents won't benefit from it because they live close enough to walk, it just sounded like a really good idea and something that should be done," she said.
Student Evan Speegle, who rides the bus from his Downtown home three times a week, said he can't wait to ride for free.
"I think that's fierce," he said. "A lot of times now, it's like I pay a buck just to go down the street. If it's free, I'll be riding it every day."
Speegle rides his bike when he doesn't take the bus.
"I don't always like that," he said. "Especially during midterms, I'm just so stressed out, and then it's like, 'Great, now I have to ride my bike.'"
Clovis Acosta, director of UNM Parking and Transportation Services, said he wants the free bus rides to begin in the fall.
"We need to work out the logistics with the city, but this is definitely a priority," he said. "I really hope that it will grow into something important."
Student Khalid Issa, who rides the bus occasionally, said some students might have better attendance because of the program.
"I think it will encourage them to get to class more, because they won't be able to say they don't have a car, or they don't have money for gas or the bus," he said.
Acosta said the program might solve some of the University's parking problems.
"We have to start somewhere," he said. "I think this is a pretty good first step. Anything we can do to alleviate our parking situation and to help save energy and fossil fuels is something we should be doing."
It is appropriate for the state government to pay for the program, Chasey said.
"Most universities in other states do this," she said. "The University of New Mexico is not just for Albuquerque."
The program is meant to provide transportation to and from school, not around town, Chasey said.
"But if a student wants to get on a bus on a Saturday morning to go to the library or something, I don't think that's something that would be disallowed," she said.
