Let’s all just keep complaining about parking, eh? Or maybe you could consider alternate modes of transportation.

Biking in Santa Barbara has increased in the past few years, yet students still under-utilize this mode of transportation.

Rather than fueling the gasoline industry, think about an environmentally friendly approach to commuting to school.

The Channels urges the school to create a “bike culture” on campus.

More bikes on campus equals fewer cars on campus, thus alleviating the “parking issue” every student and faculty member can be heard muttering about.

Considering the college can’t raise parking fees, students must take it into their own hands to solve commuting problems.

City College is actively working towards improving its relationship with Metropolitan Transit District in order to help students get to school.

We as students also need to be considerate of the college’s effort to help with transportation.

Students who live less than a mile from campus can still be seen pulling their monster-trucks into the limited number of parking spaces at school.

But imagine only having to leave 15 minutes before class and pulling up to a bike rack a mere 10 yards from class.

Instead, students’ leave home an hour before class and drive aimlessly around the parking lots, emitting foul chemicals and wasting time.

In order to create a better bike culture at City College, we need to make bikers feel safe.

Bike lockers and the availability of showers for long-distance riders are necessary to increase convenience for students.

Sure, bikers can be an annoyance to pedestrians on campus. When cyclists insist on dodging their way through seas of students, it can be pretty dangerous and rude.

Campus security needs to be more proactive in preventing this. But at least those bikers don’t hoard the limited parking.

Imagine not having to spend money on gas every week, and not spending thirty minutes battling students in over-crowded parking lots.

The solution most students offer is to “just increase parking.” Unfortunately for you, that is in no way an option.

The California Coastal Commission cannot allow any more parking lots to be built for City College students due to the ecology of the campus and the importance of reducing pollution in the Pacific Ocean.

Bike paths line the streets of Santa Barbara, making it hard to use the dangers of biking near cars an excuse to continue driving to our crowded campus.

Implementing public bicycle systems, where you can rent bikes for a day, could help create a bike culture in Santa Barbara.

It is important for students to invest in safety precautions when biking to school. Helmets are a must, whether or not you think it is gawky and uncomfortable.

Having a brain injury would be a whole lot more uncomfortable.

It is also important to adhere to traffic laws to avoid those pesky injuries. You may think you are invincible, but in a collision, a car will always win against a cyclist.

To further alleviate problems on campus, the bookstore would be able to profit off of bike accessories.

Despite the percentage spike in biking in Santa Barbara, too many people still worry about safety.

Remember to stay in your lane and watch out for opening car doors, as well as drivers. Otherwise, stop complaining and hop on a bike. It will save you, and every one else a whole lot of time.