Hi! I will be attending UMass Amherst this fall and graduating in 2016 as an undergrad. I am moving from Bakersfield, California, a very car dependent town, like most of California cities, and I was just wondering if it is worth it to take my car with me for the four years in Amherst.
So are you transferring since you will be graduating in one year from UMass? I am a bit confused about your situation. This being said, a car can help at UMass Amherst but you can certainly get to places without it. Umass has new hybrid fueled buses that can carry you from dorm to class every day on a consistent schedule. Additionally, the campus has become much more walkable in the past couple of years and their are quite a few paths on campus to walk/bike. (Well biking assuming there is no snow) Lastly, these buses also take you into the surrounding town/colleges free of charge, and for ~30$ you can take a Peter Pan Bus directly from the middle of UMass to Boston and it’s airport.
Silly me, I meant 2019 not 2016!!!
You don’t need a car. The PVTA buses work wonderfully, and if you really want a car for a weekend out then you can always rent a Zipcar (UMass has plenty of them). Most kids who have cars use them to drive home on the weekends or for Target runs. And Peter Pan buses run to the major transportation places/cities.
Hope you have an awesome time here!