University of Southern California - Transportation

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Transportation is such a necessity for taking advantage of Southern California, and students are highly opinionated on the subject. Public transportation is satisfactory for students looking to go downtown, but unreasonably time-consuming for travel to most of LA’s popular areas. The fact that many students don’t even know that a subway exists in LA is a testament to the school’s lack of interest in public transit. For the most part, USC is a car school. They are expensive to maintain, and traffic can be unforgiving during rush hour, but they are still considered to be the best way to get around. When traffic is not intense, students can get just about anywhere in LA in 20 minutes or less.

Transportation around campus is easy. Beach cruisers and mountain bikes are what people like to peddle around on, while surf-style skateboards and scooters are next in line. Campus Cruiser is the student driver service that operates through the night and is highly regarded as a safe and dependable way to get around in the dark. All in all, it’s easy to get around campus. Bikes can be purchased for $50–$150 in the University Village, and locks are about $20. The only students who complain about transportation are the ones who need to get off campus and don’t have access to cars.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Public transportation is not very... Public transportation is not very good. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

Campus Cruiser is the greatest.... Campus Cruiser is the greatest. Call them up after 5 p.m., and they will take you anywhere on campus to anywhere off campus within a certain radius. There are always cabs you can flag down to get downtown, too. 12345 Transportation Report

TrojanAW says: University of Southern California 2011 Communication and Journalism

Safety First B+ There aren't a lot of great options in terms of getting around town without a car, but in terms of late-night/around-campus transportation, USC is great. There are buses running all the time, including late-night in some places. There's also a program called campus cruiser, which will take you anywhere in the area for free, no questions asked, at night. The only problem with campus cruiser is it can take a while, and they often direct you to a bus stop...which isn't quite as safe. 12345 Transportation: February 06, 2010 Report

Anonymous says:

The bus system comes right on the... The bus system comes right on the outside blocks of campus, so it’s right there. Also, the train is nearby. People hire taxis, and Super Shuttle or Primetime take them to and from the airport. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

It’s not that bad. My first year,... It’s not that bad. My first year, I would take the DART downtown and to Chinatown for only 25 cents each way. 12345 Transportation Report

Did You Know?

Cars are necessary for getting around LA. If you have access to a car, your own or a friend’s, the city is yours for the taking. If not, the public buses are accessible, as is the Metro (Subway). Public transportation is cheap, but due to the fact that LA is so spread out, you won’t get anywhere as quickly as you want to.

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