No Car? No Problem!

At the beginning of my freshman year at Oxy I concocted a bucket list of things to do in Los Angeles. I wanted to explore the Griffith observatory, ride the Matterhorn at Disneyland, roller-skate at Venice beach, and see all L.A. has to offer.  But my heart sunk as I soon realized that completing my bucket list required transportation, and, without a car, I thought I had none.  Now, as a sophomore I’ve found tons of easy, and cheap transportation outlets that I wish I had known my freshman year.  Here are some modes of transportation for those car-less students out there:
 
Take the bus!
Don’t be scared by those L.A. bus system horror stories of people whose bus ran 30 minutes late, or who got off at the wrong stop.   If you know what you’re doing, it should be no problem.  Recently, my friend and I decided use it to get to downtown L.A.  Although, I was a little anxious, it turned out to be surprisingly simple.  The walk to the stop only took about ten minutes, no strangers followed us (one of my greatest fears!), and we didn’t get lost trying to find it. The bus ride took us all the way to downtown LA where we spent the day walking around Chinatown, Little Tokyo and The Museum of Contemporary Art. 

To get to Downtown LA take a 10-minute walk to Bus line 84 on Eagle Rock Blvd.  Ride the bus for about 30 minutes until your stop.  The total cost of transportation for the day will be about $3, unless you’re switching lines.

Many other sites, such as Pasadena or Glendale are easy to get to as well.  Here is an online tool to help you plan your next trip: Metro Trip Planner
 
Zipcar
Maybe a bus is too unreliable or crowded? Or you want to a quicker way to get to the beach?  Try out Oxy’s Zipcar program.  It is only $25 a year, with an additional expense of $8 per hour or $66 per day. Plus, you don’t have to worry about paying for gas or insurance, it’s included in the cost.  To sign up, just go to: http://www.zipcar.com/oxy.
 
Bike Share program
This awesome program loans available bikes out on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.  You get the bike for the entire week, as well as a helmet and a lock; some bikes even have cute baskets attached. It is located at the Rangeview parking garage level B (First floor of the parking garage).  The bikes are given out on a first come first serve basis so if you want one make sure you get there early. Bikes would help you get around campus and get to fun sites off campus, like Yogurt Haven or Spitz.  Not to mention, it’s a good exercise.

Tip: If the bike share program doesn’t sound appealing, you could always buy a bike.  It would definitely come in handy whenever you wanted to take a quick trip to CVS or a local restaurant. They are cheaper than cars and you won’t have to park it far from your dorm. 
 
Bengal Bus
This convenient service meets in front of the construction by the main fountain.   There are about six seats in the bus. It is completely free and takes you to nearby areas such as the Americana, or other places in Pasadena.  I’ve used it a couple of times to go shopping in Old Town Pasadena, or out to dinner with friends.  Just make sure you get the driver’s phone number so that you can call them when you’re done.  Here are their hours:
            Monday/Tuesday: 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
            Thursday: 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
            Friday: 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
           

The Desperate Option
If none of those modes of transportation appeal to you, there is always one last option: scout out someone who has a car and become their very best friend.

What did you think? Are you a stranded Oxy student? How do you prefer to get around Los Angeles? Have you tried Zipcar? Leave your comments below and let us know what you think!

Image Credit: Emily Lewis