The Fox Theatre, Diddy Riese, In-N-Out and Pink Berry are often the extent of underclassmen’s city excursions.
Some students blame that limitation on a lack of transportation opportunities for students without cars, though the university offers a number of alternative options.
“I came all the way from Tennessee to be in L.A. I was expecting there to be opportunities to explore the city, but there is a real transportation limitation,” first-year undeclared student Gabby Mayer said. “I can’t get a parking permit, so I end up paying a lot of money on taxis.”
Most university transportation services are geared toward promoting carpooling to and from campus.
UCLA Transportation Services, for example, arranges shared rides between Westwood and the greater Los Angeles community to alleviate problems such as traffic, parking and high gas prices.
Other services available to students, staff and faculty include carpools, vanpools and public transit.
While many students are aware of public transportation options such as the Big Blue Bus, fewer know that transit experts are available in the Strathmore Building to help commuters find the best route to Los Angeles destinations.
But some students said they do not always feel safe taking the bus, especially at night.
“I have had several bad situations late at night,” said Julia Barbarino, a first-year student. “I don’t feel comfortable anymore, so I end up taking a taxi.”
For students who do not feel comfortable taking the bus, or who need to reach other destinations, there are several on-campus services that transport students to numerous locations throughout campus free of charge.
The Campus Express Shuttle System runs during the weekdays every eight to 10 minutes. Three different routes run through campus and Westwood.
The Community Service Officers also run the Evening Van Service. According to the UCLA Transportation Web site, the evening van travels around campus and into the North Village. Major stops include Ackerman Union, Bunche Hall, the residence halls and Village apartments. It runs Monday through Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Michele Wang, a second-year biochemistry student, said she takes the evening shuttle when possible.
“If I can time it correctly, I’ll take the evening van so that I don’t have to walk all the way up the hill,” she said.
But other members of the UCLA community, especially faculty, staff and graduate students who live farther away, may need transportation to off-campus locations.
Carpool RideMatch, a UCLA Transportation service, matches students, faculty and staff commuting from the same area into a carpool.
Bruins can register online to receive a list of possible carpool partners. Students involved in Carpool RideMatch also qualify for a parking permit.
According to its Web site, Transportation Services emphasizes directly communicating with passengers about how the carpool will work.
Vanpools are a similar service. Members meet at a designated off-campus location and travel to campus together in university-owned vans. According to the Transportation Web site, vanpool drivers volunteer to drive the vans in exchange for a free commute.