If it hasn't become apparent after five weeks, surviving the quarter is tough, and students competing for parking spots that don't exist make it even tougher.

"It isn't enough to be early anymore," said one EvCC student. "I have to literally drive in the dark to catch a good spot."

When asked about their morning commute, another student responded, "It's crazy out there, everyone just wants to park. Makes you do crazy things just to park your car."

Environmental benefits alone show that transit systems are the way to go.

"Transit system use provides a single vehicle with multiple passengers, effectively reducing the amount of CO2 emissions produced to transport those folks," said Molly Beeman, administrative services manager for EvCC's Resource Conservation Department.

"A car occupied by one person produces on average 2.06 grams/passenger-mile (g/pm) of nitrogen oxides for work trips," said Beeman. "A fully occupied transit bus, on the other hand, would produce 1.54 g/pm, while a fully occupied rail transit system would produce only .47 g/pm for the same distance."

Everett Transit and Community Transit work together to make the commute as easy for students as possible. There are a variety of routes that bring students to and from campus throughout the day.

"It's usually a very enjoyable ride, you can't complain about free," said an EvCC student.

EvCC offers a free shuttle for students commuting to and from Marysville. The Bus picks up students at the Marysville Public Safety Center and drops them off at EvCC several times in the morning and afternoon.

"I've been riding the Everett Transit for the first time this quarter," said Jeff Reynolds, an EvCC student. "It's been convenient to carpool to Marysville and take the free shuttle there."

"I live right down the street, so a bus like this is really a luxury," said another student.

Unfortunately that luxury is waning. According to the Everett Transit, the free shuttle will be replaced with a new route starting Nov. 30.

Riders who normally board the free Marysville shuttle will have to pay up like the rest and board Everett Transit route number 79, which is a new service that operates from Smokey Point to the Everett Naval Base.

Other new changes to local transit include the new SWIFT transit line, which will offer a new transit service between Everett Station and Aurora Village Transit Station in Shoreline. This will be a convenient alternative for students who live south of Everett.

The first SWIFT ride takes place on Nov. 29.

EvCC conducted a yearlong study on transportation in 2009. In the study, researchers found that 68 percent of students drive alone to campus, 12 percent carpool, and 8 percent use the public transit system. Seven percent of students responded as having online only classes, while the rest used other forms of transportation such as motorcycles, walking or other.

Studies like this one show the need for more active transit riders. The Marysville shuttle is frequently empty, with plenty of room for people to carpool and take the shuttle. Use it up until it's terminated at the end of November.

Edmonds Community College has long been issuing free Community transit bus passes to financial aid students.

"Yeah, that would save me so much on gas," said one EvCC student, when asked if benefits such as this would entice them to ride the transit versus driving.

"That's a great idea, why haven't they already done that?" said another student.

If the college wants to increase the number of students who use the bus and become a more environmentally friendly campus, they first need to find incentives for students to ride.