It’s no secret that Orlando is one of the most car-centered cities in the country. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, about 95.2% of households in the city own a car. Why? Orlando and the greater Orange County area lack the robust public transportation needed to support their large population. In Orlando, owning a car isn’t just convenient, it’s often essential for getting anywhere.
How does this car dependency affect college students?
First and foremost, owning a car is expensive. If one does not start with financial help from parents or a college fund, then simply affording a car is a difficult task. Due to this, many people finance cars, with monthly payments costing between $500 to $700. Furthermore, even if one has a car, the cost to maintain it can be astronomical at times. In Florida, it costs about $225 to register your car, not including yearly fees to prevent your registration from expiring.
Currently, it costs between $4 to $4.20 a gallon for regular gas in Orlando. The cost may range from $48 to $50 to fill a 12-gallon gas tank. It is also important to account for car maintenance, which, depending on how old your car is, can cost between $100 to even $1000 a year. Once you add it all up, it can cost between $6,000 and $10,000 to drive your car in Florida, depending on your situation.
Personally, that number is higher than my college tuition. For many college students, putting this amount of money towards a vehicle is not feasible. However, many of us do it anyway because there is no other option.
When it costs so much to travel around your own city, vehicular dependency takes up more than just the number in your bank account. It also takes away from your time. To pay for a car, one must work more.
However, this can take away from academic opportunity, which is why most of us are college students in the first place. Instead of taking interesting classes or participating in clubs to boost resumes, make new friends, or take advantage of being at college, many people have to work or manage their time around peak traffic hours.
According to senior Marieanne Capote, commuting has a major impact on her daily routine and self-care. “As someone who is not only a commuter but is also very involved in student life, it takes a significant toll on me in the sense that I have to balance everything,” Capote explained.
She added that the time spent driving often cuts into other priorities, including exercise and work. “I had to cut down on how much I went to the gym, as it helps me a lot in terms of self-care, whereas if I could just have the time to be on campus instead of sitting in my car, I would have the two hours of my life back.”
Capote also noted that commuting affects her job schedule and forces her to leave earlier than necessary. “I work on campus, and being in traffic can also make me late for work, especially when it’s peak hours. It feels like I have to get up so much earlier to get there in time, which takes time away from other things because I’m just sitting in traffic.”
Senior Justice Rowell also described the financial strain of commuting. “I spend a lot of money on my car, it costs a lot because I do not have a choice. So I just hope I have enough,” Rowell said.
Rowell explained that the cost of commuting often requires additional work hours. “I find myself picking up extra hours just to pay for it. Going to school takes a good chunk of your budget.”
Rowell also noted that commuting limits access to campus life.”I don’t go to the main UCF campus because it takes a long time to get there and costs so much. There are definitely missed opportunities that come with being a commuter.”
Rowell added that rising gas prices make travel even more difficult. “If it didn’t cost so much, I would try to make it to the main campus, but with the current gas prices, it practically costs eight bucks to go to campus.”
Moreover, increased car dependency is actually quite damaging to one’s mental health. Time spent in traffic adds unnecessary stress on top of academic stress that may already exist.
Rowell also spoke about the emotional impact of driving. “Driving has harmed my mental health as I have to accommodate people who drive aggressively and dangerously just to get to and from school or work, and this sometimes puts me in a worse mood.”
Rowell suggested that improved infrastructure could help reduce stress for commuters. “I think that having more public transportation and walkable environments would likely have a positive impact on my mental and physical health, and I wouldn’t have to worry about potential auto accidents wherever I go.”
The City of Orlando has two main systems of public transportation: the LYNX and LYMMO bus systems and the SunRail. While having some public transportation is great, it simply is not easy to use. The bus routes are tricky and often take twice, sometimes three times as long to get you to your destination as driving does. While UCF does have bus routes from campus to other parts of Orlando, the time it takes to get where you need to go is unsustainable, which again is time taken away from pursuing academic opportunities.
While the SunRail is great in theory, it doesn’t benefit as many people as it should. Even though it spans across four counties and major cities, the SunRail is inaccessible to UCF students. Moreover, stations in downtown and Winter Park, which many students frequent as hangout spots with their friends, are inaccessible due to the lack of walkable neighborhoods. This is all because Orlando’s infrastructure is built to accommodate cars first, meaning highways first.
Overall, Orlando, being a car-centered city, is detrimental to students as its development takes away time, money, and opportunity. While public transportation exists, it is simply not efficient for students to use, causing them to rely on cars. Students without access to a car must use public transportation, which can be unreliable and even more time-consuming than sitting in traffic.
With inflation rising, it is costing more and more to get from one destination to another, in addition to the added stress of driving on highways and dealing with traffic issues. Orlando and the greater Orange County area are still growing, with thousands moving here each year and millions of tourists. Unless something is done to reduce car dependency, it could become simply unsustainable to live here.