City Year LA Orientation Guide May. 2015 | Page 69
Driving in LA
Los Angeles is notorious for its traffic and as a result driving to and from service can be frustrating at
times. In some cases it can take even longer to drive to service than to take public transportation. Keep in
mind that once you arrive at your destination you’ll also have to find parking—which can be a headache in
heavily populated or permit-only areas.
Also be mindful, there’s weekly street sweeping in LA. When you park on the street, always check the
signs to sure it’s legal to park for both the day of the week and time of day. Parking citations start
around $75, so please be careful and READ THE SIGNS.
Commuting:
Maps.google.com, Waze.com, and
socaltransport.org can help you identify how long a
potential commute might be as well as how far from the
bus/train an apartment or house is.
WNYC interactive map shows average time spent
commuting from U.S. Census Bureau numbers and
helps you estimate travel time based on neighborhood.
Though it doesn’t take into account whether this time is
spent driving from point A to point B, or sitting in traffic
and inching along the three miles you live from work.
Walkscore.com is a great way to see the “walkability” of a particular address. It rates an
area based on its commute, crime, lifestyle, and the amenities that are nearby (grocery
stores, gas stations, shops, bars, restaurants, etc.)
Transportation tools
If you decide to not have a car in LA there are also alternatives to getting around quickly or lugging a lot of
bags from the grocery store or IKEA. Below are some tools that allow short rentals and information on ride
sharing programs:
Car Rentals:
Zipcar can be a useful resource if you occasionally need a car. Whether it is for a
quick trip to the grocery, running errands, a day trip, or moving heavy things, a
Zipcar membership could suit you. To learn more about Zipcar, go to
www.zipcar.com/.
Ride Sharing:
UBER is a downloadable the app on your phone that allows you to
request a ride from your phone without even calling! Visit
https://www.uber.com/
LYFT is basically the same as Uber, with a few differences. Check
out their website: https://www.lyft.com/how or download their app!
69 | C o r p s M e m b e r O r i e n t a t i o n & R e s o u r c e G u i d e
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