<p>I am trying to decide, as some of you know, between the two schools, and I want some information on transportation methods at the two schools. What are the best ways to get around at UCLA and CAL? When I went on my tour of Berkeley, I saw a lot of Bikes, mopeds, and motorcycles. When I went on my tour of UCLA, the guide told us that for the most part, they restrict the use of bikes. What does this mean? </p>
<p>Would you say a car is mostly needed for either school? Does UCLA have good public transportation around it? Is biking a good option for either school? </p>
<p>I don’t believe that a car is ‘needed’ for Cal at all. I’ll be bringing mine regardless, but there are just sooooo many apartments right next to campus, and so much stuff is located right next to the campus…</p>
<p>@ncb316 I wasn’t really thinking CAL when I mentioned the car - I heard somewhere else that a car is pretty much a necessity at UCLA - do you know if that’s true? Either that, or bumming rides off friends to get around LA.</p>
<p>Traffic is, as you likely know, terrible in Los Angeles. The intersection of Westwood/Wilshire in particular is ALWAYS backed up. I am from LA originally, and have lived in San Diego for two years now. I am excited to move back, but I will not be driving when I move back up. You can get by just fine without out. Public transit is everywhere. Out of Westwood Village alone, you can catch the MTA, Blue Bus, and Culver City Bus. You’ll be good car-less!</p>
<p>I live in a place with crappy public transit, and even here I find taking the bus is better.</p>
<p>It’s much cheaper, as you don’t have to pay for gas, car insurance, oil changes, car fixes etc. It is better for the environment (though not a huge consideration for me, I suppose this is at least a little). There are really weird and interesting people on the bus. After a long day at school, when I feel too pooped to poop, let alone drive, It’s nice to take the bus home and not have to worry about staying alert. Plus, my car doesn’t have air conditioning and the bus does :D.</p>
<p>And if you have to travel far to get home or somethen, there’s always the train or ride-sharing on craigslist.</p>
<p>So I’d say take the bus, and possibly a bike (I like walking better myself).</p>
<p>I haven’t driven since I moved to Los Angeles in 2008 and I don’t plan on driving when I attend UCLA in the fall and I won’t even be living on or directly near to the campus. If you don’t live on or directly next to UCLA, you could easily get to the university in around 30-40 minutes with public transportation depending on your location. This isn’t bad considering it would take the same amout of time or longer in a car due to the traffic.</p>
<p>Get a bike and memorize bus lines for LA, you can get pretty much everywhere =) Buses are super bike friendly. Biking on the actual UCLA campus is limited due to many pedestrians and the hilly nature of the campus. They have a few “dismount” zones. If you don’t want a car, you can get a moped which will be pretty useful for getting around LA in general–and best part: parking at UCLA is free.</p>
<p>These posts are missing the main issue. If you are a rider you know your bike can get stolen anywhere…please do not underestimate the actual risk. Riding is extremely dangerous in LA. If you have just been accepted to LA you do not have the experience to ride here. Please listen, I am a born and raised Harley Davidson rider…the very real kind, the kind that friend’s fight against helmet laws because they are insane. Listen it is not safe to drive an M1 in LA and especially in Westwood. Every year at least one student is seriously injured…I mean lost limb, half of their face taken off…it is not due to your abilities, though at our age…and I know you think you are special, we all do…you are not equipped to handle what you will be experiencing in Westwood alone…most of these people shouldn’t even be driving cars…you will not have the speed, maneuvering capability or accuracy (due to your bike alone…not even skill) that is need to avoid the drivers that will left turn in front of you unaware you are there, the ones that will side swipe you and toss you from your bike…please don’t be stupid, I love motorcycles but right place right time, it isn’t worth your life. I speak from real experience…most of you won’t listen, but if just one does.</p>
<p>The Big Blue Bus system in Santa Monica/Westwood is excellent. I think that you can go to all the major LA spots with just the BBB, i.e beaches, and local stores. Bring a car if you think you’ll need to go farther out, but beware about parking and traffic.</p>
<p>AJ, you don’t mention if you’re going to be living on campus or off. If you live on campus, it’s almost impossible to get a parking pass, and if you live off, then a car is handy. Most of us just use the 3 public bus lines (LA Metro, Santa Monica Blue and Culver City green) along with bikes, and the BruinBus to get around. Blue and Green are like 50 cents each way, and an unlimited card is cheap for the entire quarter. </p>
<p>Traffic is a pain though if you drive or commute. But they say the 405 project will be done this fall, so here’s hoping. </p>
<p>Look at smittyucla’s posting history. Someone on another thread (I think it was ocnative) pointed out he keeps on reviving old threads, and posting the exact same thing. What do you think that’s about?</p>
<p>I looked at his post history yesterday, and that bothers me. It’s not funny, he doesn’t gain from it, and as far as I can tell, he has no reason to do what he’s doing.</p>
<p>Some people are strange creatures with stranger motives. lol</p>