Three-dollar mochas, fifty-dollar parking permits and soaring gas prices may be leaving the Eastern community in a bit of a financial hangover. But there is great news. Several Easterners are saving money by switching to biking.
“Besides going to class a tad sweaty, riding my bike is worth it,” junior Emily Carlson said.
Carlson bikes a six-mile commute to Eastern from Conshohocken. To cut the commute a bit, she sometimes crashes in the Devon apartments or at the Java.
“I am all about using a lock for my bike now,” Carlson said. “Last semester I didn’t have one and my bike along with all my books was stolen.”
Senior Ben White has a bit more reason to take precaution with his mode of transportation. White commutes to Eastern from West Philadelphia every Monday, Wednesday and Friday via his Fuji League bicycle.
“The ride takes me about an hour,” he said. “I moved closer to Center City so my commute is a tad longer than previous years.”
White said he takes Haverford Road to Route 30, because it is less populated by potholes and traffic jams.
There are some who take other steps to get them to Eastern without blowing their wallet at the pump. Junior Joe Zummo moved to Swedelen in King of Prussia mostly to cut down his commute.
“I only use three quarters of my tank per week now,” he said.
Eastern students are not the only ones attempting to curb high spending on gas. On September 12, Carol Pester, an assistant in Student Accounts, rode her first 18 miles to and from Eastern.
Aside from the heat, Pester said the exercise, combined with paying only $30 for a half tank at the pump per week makes riding her bike worth while. Pester, like White, rides three days a week.
“By riding my bike I don’t just save money. I do my part to create a cleaner environment and avoid becoming too dependent on automobiles,” White said.