Like many commuters to UCLA, senior Lourick Bustamante drove to campus every day, braving the traffic for 45 minutes to an hour each way. When driving became too costly for her, she decided to give transit a try, and was able to do so for free with the Bruin Commuter Transit Benefit.
As a student worker with UCLA Transportation, Lourick is part of the Customer Relations & Management team, assisting anyone who needs help with getting around campus or with any of the sustainable transportation programs that help Bruins get to campus. She knew that the Bruin Commuter Transit Benefit program offers one free quarterly Go Metro pass and/or BruinGO! pass for eligible students, staff, and faculty. "At the time, I had a lot of 8 a.m. classes and I wasn’t sure how busy the bus lines were going to be in the mornings. I decided to take advantage of the program to test it out."
She realized that by taking Metro lines 2 or 302 from where she lives in Hollywood, it would take her about the same time to get to campus as it would by driving. Without having to drive, she could spend her commute reading, studying, or working on homework. But the biggest benefit to her was all the money she saved from what she was spending on gas, car maintenance, and a parking permit.
Lourick also appreciates the versatility of the pass. As it also included unlimited rides on Metro rail lines, she was able to take the Red line to her gym and cut through the traffic on the way there. "The transit pass is eligible for many different bus and rail lines, so customers are not only limited to using it to get to and from campus, but it can be used to go almost anywhere."
If you would like to give transit a try for free, see if you're eligible for the Bruin Commuter Transit Benefit, and you might just stick with it like Lourick did!
Photo Credits: LA Metro and Lourick Bustamante
