Columbus: Car? Bus? Parking? Oh my... (Clinton: flat fee, rent, home)

[the10thjenerator]

Hi there. I'm looking at OSU for grad school currently, and I'm coming from Austin, TX (any comparisons between the two cities you can make would be helpful!!). Here in Austin, it's not really necessary to have a car because you can rely on bus. Plus, parking is a pain in the you-know-what.

What about Columbus?
- How necessary is a car (especially if I end up living on campus)? What about if I live off-campus?
- What is parking in the city like? Parking on campus?
- How easy is the bus system to use? Is it reliable? Is it feasible to use the bus system when it's cold?
- What's the taxi system like? Are they widely used?

Thanks for all your help!

[wrightflyer]

I don't know anything about Austin, but I can give you a run down on Columbus.

If you live on campus, a car really isn't needed. There are grocery stores on High St. north and south of campus as well as one south of campus on Neil (that one you may need a car for). High St. is one of the main lines for the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). Most things a college student needs are on this main thoughfare which goes all the way downtown. Off campus can be a pain to have a car unless you have designated parking which sometimes is added on top of your rent. If you do have a car, it will be because you live in further out suburbs with less access to public transport. I recommend looking outside the immediate campus area, which is a bit of a slum lord kingdom, and look at Victorian Village, Italian Village, or possibly Clintonville. The German Village (south of downtown) is further but also really nice. You then have the option of driving and getting a commuter parking space or taking public transit (#2, #18, #7 buses).

Finding on street, non-metered, city parking is hard with restrictions close to campus. This can range from time restrictions to having to have a city permit. Further away from campus is free parking, but this can be quite risky. Numerous people have cars broken into and areas, especially east of campus (east of High St.) can be very risky at night. Use common sense to avoid a tough loss in the event of a break-in. My advice is try to get a secure, overnight spot in an OSU lot. I think you have to live on campus for this, but as a grad student that may change. Check with Tranportation and Parking Services. Parking on campus itself is a pain because of a lack of parking spaces. The univeristy is activly building more garages all the time. But if you live on campus and have a car in the (distant but secure) overnight lot you shouldn't have to worry about commuting in and parking. Living on campus and using a bike is even better as you save on gas and can even transport bikes on special COTA buses with racks on the front (2 bikes max per bus).

The #2 bus runs north south on High on the East side of campus. It comes every 5-8 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, less so on Sundays and holidays. Then there are other routes that run less frequently through campus, but they usually funnel out to suburban areas from downtown while cutting though OSU. The best part is that COTA busses are "free". There's a $9 flat fee on the student activity fees for this. Overall, the system is easy to use, but the fact of trying to memorize (minus the north south #2) the system makes some students reluctent to use the bus. Then there is the CABS bus system which is the free (to anyone) campus bus that is frequent on the weekdays but a little less reliable on the weekends and on the far-west side of campus (agriculture area). They run at peak every 6-10 minutes on the main routes. Note that the one bus route that runs on the weekends loops campus with a frequency of 25-30 minutes. Personally, even in the cold, it's possible to walk across the main part of campus in 10 minutes. Though having CABS on a 0 degree day is nice.

Taxi companies are a constant thing around campus, especially one as large as OSU. I believe most cabs serve out of state students going to and from the airport. It's a flat rate, and despite the special COTA bus that runs between OSU and Port Columbus, it's much more reliable to use a cab.

I hope this has answered your questions and not created too many more. Good luck with grad school.

[cbus2abq]

Originally Posted by the10thjenerator

What about Columbus?
- How necessary is a car (especially if I end up living on campus)? What about if I live off-campus?
- What is parking in the city like? Parking on campus?
- How easy is the bus system to use? Is it reliable? Is it feasible to use the bus system when it's cold?
- What's the taxi system like? Are they widely used?

1) Yes you'll need a car if you live off campus. If you live within walking distance to your classes, maybe you can survive without a car. Keep in mind you're limiting yourself to like Target and Kroger for shopping needs. Then also try to imagine walking home with heavy grocery bags.

2) Parking around campus sucks, same with downtown. Get a permit or rent a place with a garage/parking spot.

3) Buses are pretty reliable, but it will take you an hour to go somewhere that would take you 10 minutes in your car. In the winter, I would not count on riding the bus no matter what. It is freaking 10 degrees here for weeks at a time, no way I could endure standing out in the cold waiting for a bus. Same goes for hot sweaty summers and weak bus A/C...

4) Taxi's are great. I use Blue Cab mostly, they are cheap enough and get to my place to pick me up within like 15 minutes. If you go out drinking, PLEASE take a cab, drunk driving is really a problem and every monday morning you'll find 100+ defendants in court after spending the night in the county slammer over the weekend.

[TJSellsHomes]

In Columbus, you must have personal transportation, unless you are a full time student living on campus. But then you'll be limited in your choice of housing.

If you have transportation and can handle a 10 minute commute, you'll increase your living options x10.

[HuskerDu]

If you live in central Columbus and decide against a car in exchange for a bicycle you are trendy (vintage sears bike earns extra points if you are white, a female and under 40). In the suburbs they only cycle in parks or similar such pre-meditated paths.

[jmargaret]

If you live around the OSU campus, you probably won't need a car. If you live off of the campus, you will absolutely need a car. The public transportation is extremely unreliable and even non-existent in some areas (especially on the weekends).

[streetcreed]

Yes you can get around Columbus without a car. There is a point where service begins to take a very long time, for instance going from the outer parts of the city (where Easton or Polaris is) on a non-express route could take 30 to 60 minutes.]

If you live around the OSU campus, you probably won't need a car.

This is true. There are a lot of retail options in the central city and OSU campus area and you do not need a car to live and get by.

However, many do not realize that if you work around downtown and live around there, in the main core/central city, you can have access to bus service that runs more frequently and will get you where you want without having to worry about parking.

If you live around downtown or the OSU area and work around there you could get by without a car, or if your job is further out if you work the hours that express buses will take you out to a suburban work site. Having a car in Columbus is always good though as you will be able to get everywhere in the city and will not be restricted.

[OSUGUY87]

Bring a car unless you live on campus and work on campus or nearby.