Traffic in the city of Gainesville can be reduced if University of Florida students use the Regional Transit System, which offers free bus rides to students, according to Jordan McBee, the U.F. student government parking and transportation secretary. Free bus admission for U.F. students is a program that started seven years ago, McBee said. The main goal was to offer free transportation to the large population of students at U.F., he said. Many students use RTS buses as their only transportation to campus, according to McBee. Students use the buses even when they have decals because there is not much parking near the center of campus, where many academic classes are, he said. Some decals, such as the park-and-ride, still require students to take a bus from the parking lot to their classes, he said. "It's definitely the largest utilized service offered to students," McBee said. "I use them daily." Walking or driving to class would take McBee about 20 minutes, he said. Taking the bus cuts the travel time in half because it eliminates the time he would have to spend searching for a parking spot, according to McBee. "It definitely saves me time," he said. "I still live on campus, but I take the buses anyway." Student government members are trying to push more students to use the RTS buses because of the carbon impact cars have on the environment, McBee said. More students using the RTS would reduce automobile emissions in the city, according to McBee. "Buses offer an environmentally friendly alternative to cars," he said. Next year, RTS buses will use biodiesel fuel, making it an even more environment-friendly form of transportation by emitting less carbon into the air, according to McBee. Aside from helping the environment and helping students get to campus, RTS buses provide students with safe transportation around Gainesville, McBee said. "Students without cars use them to get to the grocery store," he said, "and the Later Gator allows students to have a safe way to and from downtown." If a student feels confident about arriving at a destination on time, stress can be relieved, according to Barbara Curbow, a U.F. professor in the department of behavioral science, who specializes in how individuals respond to life stressors. Stress, however, is not always a bad thing, she said. "The literature says a little bit of arousal or stress may heighten your attention," she said. But when stress gets up to a higher level, it compromises a person's ability to focus and take in new information, Curbow said. The stress of driving to campus and not finding a parking spot could hinder a student's performance on an exam or his or her ability to concentrate in class, she said. Anything that makes a person feel stressed or overwhelmed and unable to cope can lead to cognitive strain, or the inability to focus, according to Curbow. The amount of stress a student experiences depends on the individual, Curbow said. "Some students are psychologically built to cope with stress better than other students," she said. Another benefit of using RTS is a worry-free ride to campus, according to Elissa Krinsky, a junior and accounting major at U.F., who lives in an off-campus apartment. Riding the bus is less stressful than having to drive around searching for a parking spot on campus, she said. "There are no worries when it comes to taking the bus," Krinsky said. "You are guaranteed to get to class without having to spend any money, whether it's on gas, a decal or having to pay for a parking ticket." The cost of those elements would add up, since she goes to campus multiple times a day, Krinsky said. "It's great that riding the bus is free for students," she said. "I wouldn't be too happy if I had to pay for a ride to class, and I would probably move closer to campus so I could walk there." Krinsky utilizes the free bus access four days a week, she said. While some students do not like riding the bus, Krinsky does not see anything wrong with it or any reason not to, she said. "It's free, air-conditioned and one comes almost every 10 minutes," she said. | 
