Well, if you found yourself reading this, it might be because you have read many things about Houston and already realized that the city is designed to move around by car. If you are like me and do not intend to get a car in your first year, I am here to help you. When I arrived last year, each day was a struggle to find my way around until I got accustomed to the ways of transport I could use, and I realized it is not as bad as you might read in a TripAdvisor review. As I said before, Houston is a car city, but what if I do not want to Uber or Lyft everywhere I go? Well, here are some options.
Riding the Rice Shuttles: Your On-Campus Transit Solution
Let's start by talking about how to get to Rice; chances are high that this will be the place you visit most, so it's good to know how to get there. First, if you live in any of the “on-campus” residences, you are off to a good start. Rice has free shuttle services from both Rice Village apartments/townhouses and Rice Graduate apartments. You can even track these shuttles with two apps on your smartphone (Transloc and RideSystems). However, these are not the only shuttles that Rice provides for you to move around. If you need to go from one corner of the campus to the opposite one, you can use the inner loop service. Or, let's say you are a PhD student doing research in one of the BRC centers; Rice also has shuttles that will take you from main campus to those places as well. What if you need groceries? Well, Rice shuttle services will take you to nearby grocery stores on Saturday morning!
Independent Travel: Embrace Biking and Scootering
Now, let's say you like more independent travel, and having to wait for a shuttle has never been your thing; you are a free soul, and you want to decide when and where you are going. I am also like you, so my best advice is to get your own vehicle, either a bicycle or a scooter. But hey, don’t forget to get a helmet as well—remember, safety first! Rice is definitely pro-bicycles, and you can see this because you can find parking spaces almost everywhere on campus. In fact, if your bike is not working properly, you can even go to “Rice Bikes” on campus, and you will get it back as good as new. This bike workshop is conducted by Rice undergrad students who work hard to provide you with the best service. Another piece of advice is to register your vehicle. The Rice Police Department keeps track of all the bicycles and scooters that move around on campus. In case you ever lose yours, they can always help you with that matter. Last but not least, be sure to get a lock! Houston is a great city, but like anywhere, you need to take care of your own stuff. Just a small bike lock should be enough to keep your transportation safe from going into others' hands.
City Adventures: Utilizing Houston’s Metro System
Wait a second, I have been reading this, and I still do not feel identified. I neither live in a campus building nor want to get a bike. Well, I haven’t forgotten about you. We have covered how to go back and forth to Rice and maybe a grocery store, but Houston is not just that. What if you want to go downtown for a nice meal, or to Buffalo Bayou Park for a walk, or maybe you want to make a getaway during the weekend, and you need to reach the airport? In any of those cases, Houston also has the Metro system. A network of Metro trains and buses that cover a fairly big chunk of the city, and you can move around in them for a cheap price. To move around this, you need three things. The first one is the MetroCard. Until you get one, you can still pay $1.25 in cash for each ride. Once you get the MetroCard, prices go even lower to $0.60 per ride, and if you need to make connections, they will not charge you for the second ticket. Want even lower prices? Get the MetroCard with Rice. Rice has a student deal: when you buy the MetroCard for $50, it comes with $250 charged for moving around. Believe me, you will not need to charge it ever again. The second thing you will need to do is download the Metro app. Right now, it is called “One to Ride.” I clarify this because it changed the name this year. With this app, you can see which bus stations are near you, a real-time follow-up of the bus you need to take, and different routes. The third and last thing you will need is patience. Houston's bus system is comfortable, the air conditioning always works, and they tend to be empty, so you will always get a seat. But the truth is that sometimes buses do not appear on the app or will take a little longer to arrive. Anyway, it is still useful, and you can get to many places for a cheap deal. In my experience, I have been to the airport just spending two bus tickets (which, if you calculate it, is almost $0.12), while if you Uber there, you will need $40 on average.
Well, I hope this guide was useful and thoughtful enough to include anyone who does not have a car! If you want to learn more about how to move around, just contact me and I can give you more insightful experiences. Houston might not be the easiest city to move around in, but it is definitely not impossible, and it can even be a nice experience if you put in a good attitude!
About the author:
Facundo Arredondo is from Tucumán, Argentina and is a current Professional Master in Data Science student. He got his Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering and wants to combine his engineering skills with data processing knowledge. Read more.
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