Commute Time from Torrance to UCLA / USC (Los Angeles, Long Beach: construction, high schools)

[YPfromDC]

Hey all,

I'm potentially moving to LA (specifically Torrance) for work, and was also of thinking of attending night classes at USC or UCLA.

Does anyone know how the commute from Torrance to either of these schools would be at around 5-6 PM?

Thanks!

[BRinSM]

depending on which part of torrance you choose to live, either usc or ucla could be easier to reach. either way, the drive is not good and the 405 and 110 are notoriously slow freeways. i don't have much experience with the 110, but i know that getting to ucla for night class on the 405 would be a long drive from torrance. from torrance to LAX, traffic would be minimal. But from LAX up to westwood, the 405 will be pretty slow. my guess would be about an hour.

[greggd1]

Its not pretty in Torrance at 5-6 either. Hawthorne Blvd is like a frwy and its slow going as well. You will be in slow moving traffic the entire route. Have you considered the Long Beach Campus?

[OyCrumbler]

Have you considered taking online classes instead of night classes? UCLA has a pretty extensive online course catalogue, dont' know about USC.

[s0nginmyheart]

I would say the commute would be in the 1-1½ hr range either campus. Also, I do remember looking at 'night' classes at UCLA and they typically didn't offer much after like, 6p or 7p. So, you have to weigh in on whether or not you'll make it on time (commuting, finding parking, walking to class, etc).

[Joseph Marnix]

If you take the 405, your bottle necks are

405 / 105 junction
405 / Century (another LAX exit)
405 / 10

405 / Wilshire (a close exit to UCLA)
Right now (Oct 2011), Sepulveda is under construction and down to 1 lane either way after Wilshire.
It is just jammed.

You can probably get away exiting Montana and take the back local roads towards UCLA instead of taking Wilshire.

Anything Wilshire and northbound is jammed due to people leaving for the valley.

I live in Carson, and my commute to West LA (Montana exit, 1 exit north of Wilshire) is in the morning to work, and afternoon to home. It's about 1 when UCLA is on break, and up to 2 hours when UCLA is in session. That's anywhere from 6:15 am to 8:30 am leaving Carson and going north.

On the way back, it's about 1 hour. Add 15+ minutes per accident slow downs.

The traffic can be as fast as 30 minutes heading north if I leave Carson early at 5:45 am.

Leaving West LA at 3pm heading south can be as fast as 30 minutes too.

p.s. Carson is next door east of Torrance.

[Arus]

To echo others, you're looking at anywhere between a 1 hour to 2 hour commute in either direction. If you live in North Torrance, you have access to the 405/91/110 freeways. South Torrance, then its surface streets until you get to North Torrance (Hawthorne can back you up like crazy).

Why not look into community college Campus? What is your major?

El Camino College in Torrance (Redondo Beach Blvd.) would be closer.

There's also University of Phoenix campus on 190th

There's also CSU : Dominguez Hills in Carson

[Samoi137]

I'm a UCLA alum, so wouldn't discourage anyone from taking classes there, but why do you mention just UCLA and USC? As noted, there are lots of colleges (state colleges, private colleges, community colleges, even high schools) that are closer and also have night classes on various topics. Years ago, after I got my BA, I took job-related night classes at West Los Angeles College. Also took an auto repair class at Venice High School. Lots of options. I think California State University Dominguez Hills would be the closest public university to Torrance.

UCLA and USC appear about the same distance from Torrance, but I don't know which drive would have worse traffic. Be sure to check costs in advance. I'm guessing USC would cost more since it's a private university and that UCLA would cost more than a California State University, but that could vary by class.

[Samoi137]

Los Angeles Southwest College, in the L.A. Community College District, isn't far. El Camino College (two-year college, I believe) is right in Torrance. But if you decide to go to UCLA, I'm sure you'll enjoy the atmosphere there (maybe just not the commute going; returning should be easy).

[s0nginmyheart]

options in closest proximity to Torrance:

El Camino College - Torrance
Marymount College - Palos Verdes
[Los Angeles] Harbor College - Wilmington
University of Phoenix - Gardena
CSU Dominguez Hills
CSU Long Beach
Long Beach City College