So, I was decided to buy a bike or a scooter for my daily commute to Cal. However, the other day I was going to school in my car to pick up some stuff. At a stop light (University Ave. & Sacramento) I got hit in the back by a car that flipped on its side and landed on the sidewalk. I was really shocked, but we were all really lucky because, other than our cars getting totaled, nobody got hurt.
After going through this experience, I’m reconsidering buying a bike for commuting. I mean, I was going through University Ave., if I had been at that same spot with my bike instead of my car, I wouldn’t be here writing any of this for sure. But then I keep reading articles about how cheap and safe is the option of biking to school. So, I guess my question is: is it worth getting a bike/scooter for commuting to Cal? I would love to hear about your biking experiences. I live 3 miles from Cal, but I’m far away from any Bart station and my only other choices are a car or the bus (#67).
Funny you mentioned this. My kid and I were over at the campus over the weekend to get some metrics on how long it would take to go from his dorm at Blackwell over to Cory and back since unfortunately he’ll have to do that on every TTh. We decided to try the Ford Go-bikes. There’s definitely a very hilly component to things which may make biking tough especially towards the Northeast end of the campus. Anyhow, the For Go-bikes has this $15/month unlimited ride deal (I’ll need to read the fine print) which may be pretty suitable. They have stations all over the place from Emeryville to Berkeley (but not in UC Village or Albany) so this may be an option.
If you do get a bike make sure it has a lot of gears such that it can handle going uphill. As far as electric scooters goes, I’d like to see if any private places make them for a reasonable price. I’m waiting for the day that Lime and Bird go into Berkeley.
Thanks for your reply, @ProfessorPlum168
Yeah, unfortunately, I think Ford bikes are placed near Bart stations and I’m quite a few blocks from any of these spots. I did a small research on electric scooters that can handle going uphill, and some of these scooters seem like a great option. However, I’ve read reviews saying that if you need to replace a wheel or get them repaired, it’s very expensive and customer service is a pain. I agree that a bike with a lot of gears seems the safest choice here. By the way, have you contacted UCPD? I think they require an affixed sticker to the bicycle, not sure if that applies to rented bikes as well.
@smsk The closest Ford GoBike rack to you would be on Vine by Shattuck right at the Bank of the West building (close to the Cheeseboard). Probably too far for you.
If you do running for exercise and fitness, you could just run to campus and back, saving time because you are getting dual use (commuting + exercise/fitness) out of your time. You may need a running-suitable backpack.
I know my profile picture might be a little bit deceiving, but I do feed the stereotype of the unfit student-parent who believes that even if Cheeseboard’s pizzas are fantastic, I wouldn’t walk that distance to get one, lol
Maybe if I meet others who are into commuting + fitness, I’d give it a try, but I ended my gym membership in June and I don’t think I have stamina to walk 1 mile at this point!
D is biking to school starting this year (off campus apartment about 1 mile away). There are tons of other bikers in her complex, so I have to think it’s safe enough or people wouldn’t be doing it, right? Anyhoo, it’s probably more practical to use a bike to get to campus vs. using it extensively ON campus (I have rarely seen anyone bike around campus because HILLS). If it helps at all, you have a 1 in 102 chance of being involved in a car crash, vs. 1 in 4,050 of being involved in a bicycle accident.
Thanks for your reply, @Undercrackers ! I completely agree that a bike is a great idea to use it ON campus, but not so great if you live in a hilly place. And unfortunately, it doesn’t get hillier than North Berkeley/Kensington!
So, I’ve been taking the bus and I think AC transportation system is quite reliable if you use real time apps to track the stops/times. Got a monthly pass for aprox. $85. So, I think I will be coming back from school by bus. And maybe I’ll take a lyft in the morning when I’m late, since the cost is approximately 10 dollars, which is what I’d spend for 8 hours of parking anyways.
Now, the only problem with buses in the hills (I live just off the 65, so not far from the starting point of the 67) is that if they miss a run (which happens), it’s 30 minutes until the next one. I would seriously think about biking down to school and catching a bus home, since they can handle 3 bikes (I think) each, and you could even bike home from the 65 stop at Euclid & Grizzly Peak since their schedules are a bit offset. You could even bike down to El Cerrito Plaza BART in the morning (not sure BART is included in your UC pass) and take the train to Berkeley; then take the bus home if that let you go more or less downhill both ways.
This is why I love this site! Thanks @atanger and @AboutTheSame ! I just called Clipper customer service and asked for a refund. AC transit is part of our student fees, I did not know that!
LOL - I didn’t think about how a bike commute could be a terrible uphill climb either there or back. D’s route to school is slightly up hill (a “bike friendly” road, because I guess that’s a big deal in that area), but she still enjoys going home because it’s a bit downhill. Sounds like OP has the bus thing figured out now - a great resource you pay for anyway, so you may as well use it!
Sorry I haven’t been posting for a while, I’m experiencing first hand what’s like to be “Berkeley bound” (first semester here). I just finished my first big project for CS61A and I’m studying for the midterms right now!!!
While I agree that the bus is a great resource, as @AboutTheSame points out, sometimes the 67 comes a few minutes late or you just miss it and then you have to wait 30 mins until the next one, and this can be a problem if you’re taking classes that drop you out based on attendance or if your instructor/TA does not want ppl showing up late to class. So, since I live outside the radius, I was able to get a parking permit which costs $10/day (Student Daily Scratch-off Hangtag, ‘S’). The cost is the same as taking a Lyft from where I live to campus. Now, if I could attach a bike on my car to ride it on campus, that would be great, but so far I’ve been walking from one building to the other.
How are your kids and the newly transfers doing so far?
Get a Brompton and ride it to school on good days. If for whatever reason you can’t ride (sudden rain, too tired, too dark, …), you can call a Lyft and throw the bike in the trunk… You can probably bring the bike into the classroom/library and noone minds.
I realize it’s not cheap. But if you can afford it, it’s great.
