Local Transportation and What Students Think

With the rising costs of gas and the underlying risks of not arriving entirely when using public transportation, Rutgers-Camden students are on the fence about whether they should take public transportation or drive to campus. 

English student at Rutgers-Camden, Julien Moral had this to say when asked his opinion on the advantages of driving to campus a student, “I think it’s nice to have a place to keep your stuff while at class, so you don’t have to carry everything with you. It’s also nice for when you’re running late since I can just speed if I need to in my car which you can’t on public transportation.” 

Another student named Kemy Rodriguez, an English and Political Science major at Rutgers-Camden, shared that, “An advantage of driving is the freedom it gives you. You can reach places that you wouldn’t be able to reach through public transportation.”

As for the disadvantages of driving, Moral explained, “It is far more costly and also more risky since there’s a far bigger risk when compared to public transportation.”

Similarly, Rodriguez had this to say on the topic, “The disadvantage of driving is that it’s more dangerous statistically speaking and more expensive.”

Both of these students seem to think that the advantage of driving is the freedom to choose how fast or slow you want to go, essentially they prefer how much control you have over how fast or slow you get to your destination.

According to rpa.org, only 9% of residents living in NJ as of June 2025 take public transportation, but that still doesn’t mean benefits outweigh the costs that come with driving. 

When asked why he prefers public transportation so much, Rodriguez stated,“It’s better for the economy, and the environment. It is also safer than driving but the scope of where you can reach is much more limited.” 

Moral also commented on public transport, saying, “I think public transportation definitely has that aspect where you’re with a bunch of people that you don’t know and, especially for women, it’s a lot more uncomfortable based on what they’ve had to deal with in public transportation in the past and even just on the street outside of public transportation.” 

Mia Morris, an English and Criminal Justice major, explained her own perspective on public transport safety, “I’m always very wary, especially if I’m traveling alone because I’m an easy target due to the fact that I’m a woman. Women are always easy targets for things like sexual harassment or assault or even cat calling, but that’s just how society is.” 

For students interested in using public transport the most common routes used in travelling to Rutgers-Camden are the PATCO and the Riverline, which spans about 34 miles from Trenton Transit Center to the Entertainment Center in Camden, as well as numerous bus routes. 

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