As Capital Metro increases fare rates, St. Edward’s University students look for a solution.

The rate increase was deemed to be necessary to reduce the rising costs of the transportation service to central Texas. These new fares will be effective on Jan. 16, according to Capital Metro’s website.

“If the rates go up, it won’t affect how often I ride the bus at the moment,” senior Amanda Martin said.

Martin said she rides the bus daily to go to school and anywhere else she needs.

The new fares are divided into three categories: local, which covers the local bus and one-zone MetroRail; regional, which covers MetroExpress and all-zones MetroRail; and reduced, which covers half-priced fares for those who qualify, according to the Capital Metro website.

Due to an agreement with Capital Metro, free rates will only be available for University of Texas and Austin Community College students, faculty and staff, and City of Austin employees. Seniors, Medicare Card Holders, people with disabilities, students ages 6-18, and active and reserve military members will be paying the reduced fares.

“I don’t think it’s fair,” Martin said. “Instead of having to pay for a parking permit, maybe we could pay for a Capital Metro pass.”

Besides the increase in the fare rates, beginning Jan. 16, Capital Metro will implement some changes in its services, including eliminating a few bus stops and realigning some others due to low ridership. Four Congress Avenue stops closed already on Nov. 6 due to low traffic, according to the Capital Metro website.

“Not everyone has the luxury of a vehicle,” Martin said.

Other students share Martin’s opinion, like Abe Clabby, who is participating in an environmental science class group to bring car2go to campus. Car2go provides smart cars parked within a perimeter in Austin ready to use anytime, with no deposit or fixed cost; the driver only needs to register online.

Implementing a car2go program in January 2011 would let students living on campus move around without owning a car.

“I think it will be helpful for St. Ed’s students, especially freshman who don’t have vehicles on campus,” Martin said.

Clabby, along with other students, has spoken with Paul DeLong, who is the marketing and sales manager for car2go in North America. The group asked for an expansion of the car2go ratio, since they do not provide cars beyond Oltorf Street. This program started as a group project, and the group proposed the idea to the St. Edward’s Board of Trustees.

Once a car2go user pays the $35 start off fee, he or she is charged 35 cents per minute of car use, with a discounted hourly rate and a daily rate. These fees could be cheaper than owning a car, taking into consideration all costs such as gas, insurance, and regular maintenance, Clabby said.

Another important factor the students working on the project took into consideration is the carbon dioxide contamination, which car-pooling helps to decrease. Using car2go’s car-sharing program with its already fuel-efficient smart cars would help decrease pollution, Clabby added.

One of the negative aspects, however, is that car2go users cannot go anywhere anytime they want, or go south very far right now. Still, with the price of public transportation increasing, some students are craving alternatives.

“It can replace Capital Metro,” Clabby said.