The Davis/Berkeley Shuttle will cost $11 effective Oct. 1. This is the first time the price has been raised since 2009 and it reflects increasing costs to run the shuttle service.
While this $1.35 increase is lamentable, we find it reasonable. We commend those running the Davis/Berkeley Shuttle for their efforts in keeping the costs down. Students have enough fees to contend with as it is and taking the Amtrak still costs twice as much.
This increase in price may deter some students from taking the shuttle. As the number one “cool school,” we urge students to find cost-effective and environmentally friendly transportation to the Bay Area and elsewhere.
The best way is to carpool. UC Davis has an active community on Uloop, an online classifieds website for university students, which includes the carpool section. If you are headed somewhere, it is easy to post on Uloop and give someone a lift. Not only are you doing your part to save the planet, carpoolers will pitch in for gas.
Another option is Zimride, a website dedicated to carpooling which provides bus services between some cities including Sacramento. While carpooling may or may not be cheaper than the Davis/Berkeley Shuttle, it can have more convenient times.
The Davis/Berkeley Shuttle may not work for everyone but it remains a viable alternative to other modes of transportation to and from the Bay Area.
If the shuttle is inconvenient or too expensive, there are many other viable options that are not only greener, but cheaper than driving. You’ll never know when you need that $2 for an emergency CoHo coffee.
