Can I easily ride Metro Rail from Lawndale to UC Riverside? (Brea: lease, house)

[EscapeCalifornia]

There is no solution to this equation that doesn't include A LOT of hours in transit. Maybe your daughter should find a closer school. She could more easily get to San Francisco, Las Vegas, or Phoenix via LAX than to Riverside by public transit.

[cjinca]

Bunjee, this is the best solution daughter has found so far. We really appreciate your input. I just hate thinking of her driving. Her plate will be spilling over not matter how she splits it and if she could rest/study/pump/numb, whatever, it'd be better than fighting traffic. But she's also thinking she'd rather pump in car once at school than finding places suitable on campus during the day. So that is one plus to driving. Still weighing it all out.

[cjinca]

Thanks, Escape. However, she has 2 quarters left. To start over she'd lose hours that she's invested as junior/senior, even to another uc school.

[Mike121]

Originally Posted by cjinca

But you think 3 hour drive time each way if she needs to be there at 8 and 9am and last class ends 5pm?

I'm sure it won't be three hours each way every day, but, you would definitely need to plan on it taking three hours from time to time.

[Bunjee]

Originally Posted by cjinca

Bunjee, this is the best solution daughter has found so far. We really appreciate your input. I just hate thinking of her driving. Her plate will be spilling over not matter how she splits it and if she could rest/study/pump/numb, whatever, it'd be better than fighting traffic. But she's also thinking she'd rather pump in car once at school than finding places suitable on campus during the day. So that is one plus to driving. Still weighing it all out.

How often would she pump? The train ride is actually not a bad one and she can do the pumping in the morning in the bathroom. The train does tend to empty out closer to the exurbs, too. I think she could find the privacy in the upstairs corner booths. I would not recommend driving all the way to Riverside, but you're weighing all sorts of factors, it's clear.

[cjinca]

I don't yet know how often she'll need to pump, but thinking every few hours initially. I was hoping there might be areas on the train that would be less populated during ride, so thanks. We're doing homework and will probably have to do trial and error to find best solution.

[Charles]

It's a long shot, but one other possibility is a vanpool.

Vanpool Program - Cut Your Cost!

[bouncethelight]

The train can be pretty crowded - I wouldn't count on any privacy during most of the ride...

[Bunjee]

Originally Posted by bouncethelight

The train can be pretty crowded - I wouldn't count on any privacy during most of the ride...

Riverside to Los Angeles, yes. But is there really that great a commuter ridership in the opposite direction? I dunno. Possibly. Actually, I hope so for the vibrancy of the economy! But again, as I said, there are bathrooms on the train anyway.

One more note about the driving commute: Even slogging down the 91 past the 110, slowdowns between the 710 and 605, between the 605 and the 5, it's not for a few miles that you'll hit the FastTrack toll lanes, which alone is a plush escape from regular traffic. But after FastTrack ends you have to cross your fingers through Corona, the 71 then the 15 interchanges, and downtown Riverside, though at that point you'll (blessedly) be getting off the freeway. There're just too many reliable and potential traffic knots to consider along that stretch.

If you're insistent on driving you could take the 91 to the 57 to the 60, which I've recommended before on other threads. But that still leaves you vulnerable to the Cal State Fullerton and 57/60 interchange traffic. Otherwise, I'd call it a less white-knuckle option than the 91 all the way down. I still don't recommend the drive.

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by Bunjee

Riverside to Los Angeles, yes. But is there really that great a commuter ridership in the opposite direction? I dunno. Possibly. Actually, I hope so for the vibrancy of the economy! But again, as I said, there are bathrooms on the train anyway.

I tired what the original poster is suggesting for a brief period of time, and yes it is pretty crowded heading into Riverside in the morning - which isn't a bad thing at all - but if you were hoping to find a quiet corner to express breast milk, you might have a hard time.

As for using a restroom, I really hope no one would do that!