ASU students joined with a nonprofit organization in a mass bike ride to show support for cleaner modes of public transportation at the Memorial Union on the Tempe campus Thursday afternoon.
The Arizona Public Interest Research Group campus chapter gathered at the MU with 40 ASU students and staff members who rode their bikes in a three-mile circumference around campus.
Kim Pearson, a sustainability freshmen and global warming solutions events coordinator for Arizona campus PIRG, said the event was held to honor the statewide “Transit Action Day,” by creating their own event entitled “We Heart Public Transit.” Participants were encouraged to wear red in an effort to support public transportation as an important part of global sustainability.
Psychology senior Jessica Desmond was impressed with the turnout for the bike ride.
“I’m excited to see what the future events will hold,” Desmond said. “We hope to turn this into a monthly occurrence by advertising through flyers, tables and phone banking.”
Pearson said statewide and campus PIRG groups strive to create change for debatable issues at a local and national level.
“The reason we’re having this event is to showcase the idea that students want more options when it comes to public transportation,” Pearson said. “When the state Legislature is considering the economic recovery plan for the issue of transportation, we hope they will take our suggestions that we will send them into consideration.”
Pearson said that because of the population increase in Arizona, the corresponding traffic increase will cause more pollution, unless people use public transportation.
“Students appreciate the public transportation policies that have been put into effect by the state Legislature, but feel that they haven’t kept up with our total demand,” Pearson said.
Arizona campus PIRG visibility coordinator and engineering freshmen Mustafa Abdelhaq said the main goal of the event is to get the government’s attention.
“We want the state Legislature to realize that people want more convenient alternatives for public transportation and to pass [legislation] accordingly,” Abdelhaq said.
Pearson described the light rail as a step in the right direction, but not an ultimate solution.
“Although they have taken the initiative to connect Tempe to Phoenix, we need to expand on that,” Pearson said. “We would like more funding for public transportation which will then create more jobs, reduce our dependency on oil and significantly eliminate the pollution we spew into the air.”
Pearson said PIRG would like to see a high-speed rail between Phoenix and Tucson.
“Students depend on the quality of public transportation because they make up a huge demographic,” Pearson said. “Bottom line to state officials is, if you build transit, we will ride.”
Reach the reporter at allison.carlin@asu.edu
