Parking on campus is a hassle. It’s expensive, it’s distant (especially if you’re in Lot 59) and it’s no wonder many ASU students opt for public transportation instead.

Sitting on a bus doing homework is a whole lot easier than sitting behind the wheel and navigating the traffic yourself — and it’s cheaper, too.

The city of Tempe (or Tempe residents, through a half-cent sales tax) has been footing the bill for free services like the Orbit for years. But an operational cost of $46 million, according to last year’s figures, and a shaky economy might put an end to the free-ride mentality when it comes to getting on Mars or Jupiter.

The city hopes to cut public transportation costs by $16 million; a goal it likely won’t accomplish without students paying some sort of price. Whether that price is modifying or eliminating bus routes, reducing frequency or instituting a fare is yet to be determined. In case you are personally affected and want to weigh in on the issue, the public is encouraged to voice its opinion at open meetings on Feb. 23 and March 1.

While we’re not looking forward to the cutbacks, for the most part Tempe has done a pretty good job of supporting the transportation infrastructure around ASU. We’ve had the advantage of shuttling around campus with the free Flash, having convenient bus routes and access to the Metro Light Rail — and compared to ease of transportation around the rest of the Valley, it’s not a bad situation to be in at all.

But it would be naïve to expect the services to continue to be costless, especially at a time when Tempe is considering laying off policemen in order to shore up its budget.

And citizens and students have shown a willingness to contribute — a nominal fee to ride the bus each day is a lot better than dishing out a handful of Benjamins to Parking and Transit Services for a permit to a far-away lot. Or, for you corner-cutters, paying a ticket for an overrun parking meter.

We’re willing to make the necessary concession in the interim, and while we don’t expect it, it would be nice if the public transit system didn’t take our willingness to pay as a reason to permanently raise costs for buses like the Orbit.

Call us idealists, but once the city hits a surplus again (and it will) the potential fee should once again be eliminated.

This should mirror the principle of ASU’s “temporary” economic recovery surcharge. Students have been fairly understanding of the idea that when times are especially tough, they need to put in more to keep the institution functioning. But when “one-time” becomes “new bottom line,” you run into problems.

We’ll continue to scratch Tempe’s back when they need it most, as long as they scratch ours.