Community colleges are known for being beneficial to a wide demographic of people, from those learning new skills, to others looking to cut costs and some who would otherwise be unable to attend due to the high cost of tuition.
Many of those students live throughout the San Fernando Valley, and unless students live directly on a bus line or drive a car, getting to campus proves difficult. So how can Pierce College be made more accessible to students?
A new single-rider program called Metro Micro began in Los Angeles County in 2020, offering specific service areas across the county short rides for only $1—similar to Lyft or Uber for a fraction of the price. Users only need to place a ride 20 minutes in advance to use the service, and it is much more flexible than bus schedules.
Unfortunately, the Metro service zone for the San Fernando Valley includes only the Northwestern area, anything from Parthenia Street up to Senson Boulevard in Porter Ranch, leaving the Pierce campus just out of reach. If it was expanded to the lower West Valley, it would allow even more students access to the campus.
Many students are juggling school and work. According to the California Career Center, approximately 80% of community college students also have jobs to help save for school or pay for every-day life. Those students don’t have the option to wait for busses that don’t align with their class schedules and often have to choose between
planning their days around the Metro line, or missing class altogether.
Not only would Metro Micro be beneficial to those juggling responsibilities, it would also provide safety and security to those who need to use public transportation.
According to Los Angeles Daily News, serious crime within Metro lines rose 24% from 2021 to 2022, and statistics for 2023 already surpass those numbers. With growing uncertainty about the safety of public transit in Los Angeles County, Metro Micro would provide an alternative for students who are afraid to take the bus.
Community colleges are essential to providing accessible, affordable education.
Accessibility means far more than just providing classes.
It must also take efforts to make sure that students have the resources to get to classes. Working with Metro
to expand these services to the West Valley would add to those resources.
