When most students want to go to Downtown Los Angeles, they might opt for a $15 Lyft in the interest of time, but public transit can offer a cheaper alternative.

Metro, the largest transportation agency in Los Angeles County, is in the process of updating its bus and rail network through expansion projects and reworked service plans. However, current public transit options can still offer students a mode of transportation cheaper than ride-hailing services provide.

The Metro system in Los Angeles offers several benefits for college students, including the Bruin Transit Access Pass. BruinTAP includes both BruinGO! passes and Go Metro passes that can be loaded together on one TAP card and are valid for one quarter. These passes cost $60-$62 for UCLA students per quarter compared with the College/Vocational pass that costs $129 for 90 days for eligible students.

For infrequent riders, UCLA Co-Pay offers discounted rates for riding the bus. For the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus or the Culver CityBus, students can buy a UCLA TAP card for $2 and rides for 70 cents.

Additionally, the Bruin Commuter Transit Benefit allows one free quarterly Go Metro pass and/or a BruinGO! pass depending on students’ eligibility. UCLA is also a part of the U-Pass program that offers discounts on Metro services for selected schools.

Popular destinations, including Santa Monica, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Grand Central Market, can be reached using public transit but may take longer depending on traffic.

UCLA students can reach Santa Monica on the Big Blue Bus that runs from the Charles E. Young/P2 Hub to the Downtown Santa Monica Station on 4th Street & Colorado on weekends all day long. The ride to Santa Monica costs approximately $1.25 for regular fare, but the UCLA Co-Pay would reduce the cost to 70 cents for one way.

An Uber for the same ride to Santa Monica would comparatively be about $15-$19, and the Lyft would be approximately $16. These and the following cost estimates are for four passengers on an UberX or Lyft and are based on scheduled rides departing at 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

Moreover, the bus ride would take 33-37 minutes and an Uber or Lyft would take around 16-40 minutes.

LACMA is another favored destination that students can reach using the 20 bus, which runs all day. Visitors can start at the Wilshire/Westwood station and get off at the Wilshire/Spaulding station, with the total trip taking approximately 37-41 minutes, including 10 minutes of walking to the destination.

An Uber would cost about $17-$21 while a Lyft would cost about $13 and would take anywhere from 18-40 minutes depending on traffic.

Downtown LA is another popular destination for students. The Grand Central Market in Downtown can be reached by taking bus 2 from Hilgard/Westholme to Hill/3rd in around an hour and 20 minutes and includes some walking. Ride-hailing would take about 26-50 minutes, with an Uber costing $30-$38 compared to around $27 for Lyft.

Despite the savings public transit offers, many students opt to take ride-hailing services instead. Some students cited ease of use and safety as primary concerns.

Oris Chen, a first-year comparative literature student, said she faced difficulties the first time she tried to use public transit. She added although she would like to know more about other options, she is likely to stick with Uber and Lyft for convenience.

“I had tried using the bus, but it was difficult as I did not know how to pay,” Chen said. “I downloaded the transit app, but that did not help me.”

Sachin Reddi, a second-year biology student, said he frequently compared the cost of travel and often decided on the location based on whichever was more economical.

Shivani Chetty, a second-year sociology student, said she rarely uses public transit because she thinks it is less safe and convenient than ride-hailing services.

“I feel safe in using an Uber or Lyft because I can see the map and where I am going,” Chetty said. “I request and usually pair up with people who are also students.”

Rick Jager, a Metro representative, said in an emailed statement that safety is the top priority for Metro and that it has affiliated itself with three law enforcement agencies to patrol trains, buses and major transit hubs.

Jager added that the Transit Watch app is another option for riders to report suspicious behavior. Riders can also use the emergency intercom located in train stations and on board to report to the train operator.

In order to address issues that involve commuting at unusual times, Jager added that although there are no current plans to extend Metro’s hours, there is a late-night “Owl” bus service that operates at all hours.

Additionally, he added that the NextGen Bus Plan, which is expected to be completed by December 2021, would also incorporate more late-night bus plans and 24/7 service.