Last year, Americans took 10.5 billion trips and 154 million more trips than the previous year, according to a report released at the end of 2013, by the American Public Transportation Association. This was the seventh year in a row that more than 10 billion trips were taken on public transportation systems nationwide.

As every method of public transportation showed a growth in ridership, public transit ridership grew in all areas of the country and in communities of all sizes, with at least 16 public transit systems reporting record ridership.

Lucky for FC, Fullerton is home to a public transportation hub, The Fullerton Transportation Center.

This is proof that not everyone needs to be in an automobile to get around.

As students dive into a new semester, a few things come to mind. How long is it going to take me to park today? How bad will traffic be? How many cars will be rushing to the same place I’m going to?

Perhaps it’s worth giving OCTA bus routes a try.

By simply downloading the Transit application on to your smart phone, you can figure out an alternative way to beat the stressful traffic as well as travel all over the county at a low cost.

You can find out exactly how to get from outside your classroom to the shores of Newport Beach and back with just five bucks.

Purchasing a day pass is easy and cheap, in fact it’s only $5.

At dock four, in front of the Slidebar Kitchen, you’ll notice a machine where you can purchase a day pass, monthly pass or a set of five rides with no time frame.

One bus ride from the Fullerton Transportation Center will take you all the way to Newport Beach, something that will cost nearly $15 in gas. For $15, not only can you get to the beach and back with a bus pass, you can also get some lunch and a drink from a local happy hour.

Two big reasons for the increased national transit ridership are high, unpredictable gas prices and in certain areas, a recovering economy with more people returning to work.

Public transportation saves people money, and people save even more so when gas prices spike.

On any given work or school day, an average of 3,000 commuters travel through the Fullerton Transportation Center. This makes it the busiest stop along Metrolink’s Orange County route.

Don’t be afraid to embrace public transportation. It’s healthy for the environment and it can be healthy for you, if you allow it to be.

It’s always important to keep in mind that not all those who wander are lost.

by: Stephanie Ornelas