Having a Car on Campus

Colleges and Universities A-Z Pomona College
1

<p>Hi Prospective and Current Pomona Students,
I was wondering about how practical it is for first year students / students in general to have cars on the Pomona campus? I am interested in outdoor activities with OTL and also outside of OTL and I am also interested in going to LA every now and then (not that often, but if a really good concert comes to town, it'd be fun to go for the night.)</p>

<p>I live in Salt Lake City, so I could drive a full car home and save all of us about $100 per round trip in air travel fees (that will probably happen twice a year, so I save $200 a year). But, I would have to pay $60 for parking at Pomona for the year plus insurance and registration so it would still be relatively expensive to have a car. I am not worried about gas because I don't think I'll drive much and I think people will pitch in on longer trips.</p>

<p>Can you weigh in on:</p>

<p>[ul]
[<em>] Benefits of having a car
[</em>] Alternative modes of transportation
----- I know the train doesn't return late from LA. Is there some other way to get back to campus at night?
[<em>] Ease of finding rides to go skiing, climbing, hiking, etc.
[</em>] Zipcars on campus... Do people use them? Are they economical?
[<em>] Other economical benefits / costs that I have not factored in
[</em>] Difficulties of having a car I have not factored in
[/ul]</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

2

<p>Due to construction this fall, freshmen will not be allowed to have cars on campus, at least for the semester. Things may change in the spring.</p>

3

<p>Yes, people use Zipcars. Our son (a freshman) uses one often to attend off-campus appointments, pick up friends at the airport, shopping, etc. Construction on campus will likely affect parking for everyone next year.</p>

4

<p>Zipcar is huge, and the school subsidizes the program heavily, so if you are going to a job interview, career related event, volunteer event, or school-sponsored program, you won’t have to pay out-of-pocket for it most of the time. A car isn’t really necessary, and there’s always one either formally (Zipcar) or informally (someone will have one) accessible in the times that you do need one.</p>

5

<p>D has been able to borrow a friend’s car whenever she’s needed to go somewhere, e.g., off-campus internship. And there are groups going off hiking, shopping, etc.</p>