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Tuesday, March 26, 2024

From Biking to Walking, Transportation for UC Davis students

Students have many options to get from here to there on campus and within the city of Davis. Here is a guide to various modes of transportation available.

Biking on Campus

UC Davis is renowned for its bicycle population.

As Davis has more bikes per capita than any other citylet alone campusin the United States, the city provides wide streets, bike lanes and bicycle parking spots to ensure cycling safety.

Bicyclists must adhere to California Traffic Laws and are encouraged to purchase accessories such as a bike lights, safety reflectors, a helmet and a U-lock and a bicycle chain lock.

Bikes should be locked in designated bicycle parking spacessilver stands that come out of the ground. Locking both the wheel and the body of the bicycle to the stand will deter bike thieves from simply leaving the locked wheel and taking the unlocked body.

Students are advised to register their bicycles with the Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS). For $8, students receive a bicycle license which is valid for three years. Licenses go on sale during Fall Welcome Week. License renewals cost $4.

By registering, students receive benefits. For example, if a student should lose their keys to their bike lock, TAPS will come cut the lock off.

For first-time cycling commuters, the TAPS website has maps of bicycle routes, traffic laws, and dates for bike auctions. Visit taps.ucdavis.edu/bicycle for more information.

Additionally, some advice for first-time cyclists that cannot be found on the website: Traffic flows counter-clockwise in a roundabout. Davis police will pull bicyclists over for not having a bike light on at night. Most importantly, do not ride a bike under the influence of alcohol; Biking Under the Influence (BUI) is a real traffic violation.

Tipsy Taxi

If you find yourself unable to drive, bike or walk back home after one too many games of beer pong, you can arrange a ride with ASUCD’s Tipsy Taxi, which runs Thursday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. for a $2 fee.Tipsy Taxi provides a safe ride home to undergraduates from anywhere in the city of Davis to anywhere within the city of Davis,according to ASUCD’s website.

Call 752-6666 before 2 a.m. to arrange a ride.

Unitrans

Unitran’s iconic red buses leave from the Memorial Union, the Silo Union and Peter J. Shields Library at predetermined times. Riders can pick up bus schedules on campus and at bus stops.

UC Davis undergraduates with a student ID ride for free while there is a $1 fee for all other passengers.

Unitrans users may notice that a bus will pass by one of their designated stops without stopping, but then another bus driving the same route will come behind the first bus and stop. These are calledtripperbuses.

During high ridership times, Unitrans often hastripperbuses which provide added service when one bus is not enough,Palmere said.So, if it is a busy stop, there should be another bus coming to pick up there. If that is not the case, we would like to hear about it, so you should call 752-BUSS to let us know.

Visit unitrans.com or call 752-BUSS for more information on schedules, routes and more.

Yolobus

For Davis residents looking to go to the Capitol, the Yolobus system can take you to and from Sacramento.

Yolobus lines 42A and 42B take passengers to and from the Sacramento Airport, respectively. Buses leave basically on the hour every hour from the Memorial Union bus station.

Per year, we usually get about 135,000 undergraduate students riding on Yolobus,said Terry Bassett, executive director of Yolobus.

Routes 43 and 44 go from Davis to the capitol. Route 43 picks passengers up at the Memorial Union, while 44 picks passengers up at the Silo bus stop. However, the Silo bus stop is currently under construction, so commuters will want to wait for the 44 at Bioletti Way on campus.

The biggest advice I can give is visit our websites,Bassett said.We’re currently building a website that will give real time/live time so that students will know if we’re right around the corner or if we’re about a half an hour away…. The website should be up and running by October.

Yolobus is free for students with their ID, and $1.50 for non-students. Visit yctd.org/index.html or call 666-2877 for more information.

Driving

Parking on campus costs $6 a day, and drivers can only park in designatedVisitor Parking,also known asCParking. Or, students can purchase aCparking permit for $124/quarter or $456 for the entire year.

Purchasing a C permit allows drivers to park in main campus parking lots such as the Memorial Union Parking Lot (North Entry Parking Structure) and the Silo Parking Structure (West Entry Parking Structure). However,Cpermits can only park in designatedCduring the day but are allowed to park inApermit areas, normally reserved for faculty and staff, after 4p.m., according to the TAPS website.

Parking on campus is free on weekends and after 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.

UC Davis Escort Service

If you’re staying late on campus and would like a ride to the bus stop or your car, you can call the UC Davis Police Department’s Cal Aggie Escort Service. During the school year, the Aggie Escort Service runs from 6 p.m. through midnight.

Fore more information on the Aggie Escort Service, visit police.ucdavis.edu/aggiehosts.htm, or call 752-1727 for a ride.

 

MEGAN ELLIS can be reached at features@californiaaggie.com.

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