Correction Appended
Higher gas prices and a sagging economy may be contributing to an increase in students commuting to campus by motorcycle.
ASU Parking and Transit Services (PTS) had sold more than 170 motorcycle parking permits by Monday, an increase from 95 by the same time last year, PTS spokeswoman Shereen Saurey said.
But the number could fluctuate, she added. In 2006, PTS had sold 149 motorcycle parking permits by the same time.
More than 12,000 motorcycles were registered in Arizona between June 2007 and June 2008, said Cydney DeModica, a spokeswoman for the state Motor Vehicle Division.
Of those, more than 4,000 were registered in Maricopa County.
“We’re really climbing right up there,” she said of the increase, adding that there has been a trend of more people riding motorcycles.
Linda Gorman, a spokeswoman for AAA Arizona, said gas prices and a weak economy are the main factors behind a trend of increased motorcycle ridership.
“As gas prices start to rise, people start to look at alternatives,” Gorman said.
Business management junior Jon Pinches said saving money was one of the main reasons he chose to start riding a motorcycle about a year ago.
“Economically, it’s great,” Pinches said. “I ride it to work, I ride it to my parents’ place — I take my bike everywhere pretty much.”
Pinches said his motorcycle is supposed to get 65 miles per gallon on the freeway.
He said he recommends taking a safety course to ensure safety and lower insurance rates.
Gorman said an unfortunate side effect of increased motorcycle ridership has been the continued increase in motorcycle deaths on Arizona roadways.
According to a AAA press release, motorcycle deaths increased for the 10th straight year in 2007, even as every other traffic death category decreased.
There were more than 1,000 traffic deaths in Arizona last year, an 18 percent decrease from the year before, according to the release.
Gorman said increased education for motorcyclists could help decrease the number of fatalities, as collisions are “completely preventable.”
“When a motorcycle and a vehicle collide, it’s usually the vehicle that wins,” Gorman said.
Psychology junior Brian Theer, who recently moved to Arizona from New Jersey, said he is looking to buy a motorcycle to get around.
Theer has been riding for about four years and said he owned several motorcycles in New Jersey.
He added that the ability to ride virtually year-round in good weather and the cheaper costs of owning a motorcycle are some of the main reasons he wants to use a motorcycle.
“The car I have out here definitely sucks up more gas than my bike would,” he said.
In Tuesday’s “Cost, convenience drive students to choose motorcycles over cars,” the name of Cydney DeModica, spokeswoman for the state Motor Vehicle Division, was misspelled.
Reach the reporter at matt.culbertson@asu.edu
