So, you’ve finally made it on your own. You studied hard for 12 straight years, and have just landed yourself a ticket to freedom. The world is your oyster ‹ you can go anywhere you want, do anything you choose and the best part is, you don’t have to answer to anyone.
Lining up: The Cityshuttle route serves UCSD commuters residing from Via Mallorca to Costa Verde as well as on-campus residents looking to shop or dine out.
But, you may have one problem: How are you going to get there? The bait is out there, and you’re ready to bite, but you don’t seem to have any fins to carry you along the way. What good is living in the acclaimed city of San Diego if you don’t have any way to explore it? Well, now you do. This is your excuse-free guide to getting around and maximizing your newfound freedom.
Shuttle yourself out of here: First and foremost, become acquainted with the UCSD shuttle system. If you haven’t already taken advantage of it, then you may have at least seen the campus shuttle stops on your way to class. We have the clockwise and counter-clockwise loops, which will take you to various stops around campus.
But enough with class, let’s move on to the fun part. The Cityshuttle, whose pick-up/drop-off area is located near Mandeville Auditorium, can take you to a friend’s apartment at La Jolla Colony, or to University Town eCenter, the closest mall to campus. The shuttle stops at Regents Road, Nobel Drive, Lebon Road and most of the surrounding streets. There are also shuttle stops that will take you to various campus parking structures. To ride any shuttle, you need to be a current UCSD student. Cityshuttle requires you show UCSD identification, so remember your ID card.
Passing ships: Transportation and Parking Services introduced the widely successful Cityshuttle route, which serves University Towne Center and Regents Road areas among others, in 2002-03 to combat traffic and parking problems.
Bussing it: On our next stop, we have the bus system. You may feel like you’ve outgrown your bus years, and that you’re a little too old for it. But really, you just need to get over yourself. Lesson number one, you take what you get ‹ and you can definitely get a lot from that green bus sticker available at the Transportation and Parking Services office. The bus stops are located by Gilman Parking Structure, all the way down Gilman Drive.
From here, you will find your passport to downtown, Fashion Valley and the movie theaters. Bus No. 41 will take you to UTC, but if and when you get tired of that mall, you can ride a little longer and you’ll land at Fashion Valley. Tired of eating at the dining halls? Take bus No. 34 and try your luck at the many restaurants and dining areas at La Jolla Village Center, where you can also do a little grocery shopping across the street at Ralphs or catch a movie at the AMC 12 La Jolla Village movie theater.
Now, if this is all just a little too local for you, you may want to take bus No. 30 downtown where you can either check out Horton Plaza mall or walk around the Gaslamp District, which has numerous stores and restaurants. Scope out the perfect one for you. The busses that transport from UCSD provide countless possibilities, but be careful. Most buses stop running at midnight, but there are those that stop running as early as 9:30 p.m.
To be sure, check the timetables, which can be found at the Transportation and Parking Services office located at the Gilman Parking Structure.
Trolley: For a little taste of San Francisco, you can try out the San Diego Trolley system. One-way fares range from $1 to $3 and will take you all around San Diego. You can transfer to the trolley from the Fashion Valley bus terminal. The Trolley offers a special student month-long pass at a cost of $67. That may seem like a hefty cost, but the trolley goes all around San Diego, from El Cajon to San Ysidro. Along the way, you can stop at Mission Valley, Imperial Beach, Qualcomm Stadium or Old Town.
The Trolley runs from 4 a.m. to midnight on Monday, 4 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and 4 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Triton Taxi: So now that you know about all of the places you can go, you’re ready to have fun. But what if something happens? What if your ride abandons you or you’re too inebriated and it’s too late to take use of the aforementioned forms of transportation? No need to get scared, that’s where the good people at Associated Students and Cloud 9 Shuttles come in. The Triton Taxi, a program started by the A.S. Council in 2001-02, can be used to get you out of this messy situation. Just call the number located on your Triton Taxi sticker (available on the second floor of Price Center), and Cloud 9 Shuttles will pick you up. However, it is important to remember that you can only use the service once per night and that the Triton Taxi only runs from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Call before 2:30 to guarantee a safe ride home.
There it is. Now you can enjoy your freedom to go anywhere and see anything. Just don’t be late for class. Also, keep in mind the schedules for each form of transportation listed. Just like you, the busses and trolleys and taxis have to sleep sometime. For more information and alternative modes, check out http://www.sdcommute.com. Now go out and have yourself some fun.
