September 03, 2013

Top 10 tips for Lewis & Clark commuters

Top 10 tips for Lewis & Clark commuters help you clarify your choices, cut costs, and enjoy the ride.

From bicycles to Zipcars, Lewis & Clark commuters have several options for their daily climb up Palatine Hill. Whether you grip a steering wheel or opt to go green, the following tips can help you clarify your choices, cut costs, and enjoy the ride:

  1. Explore your options. Check out this video featuring Lewis & Clark commuters who get to campus from various corners of Portland using multiple forms of transportation.

  2. Be advised before you drive. If you drive to campus, please familiarize yourself with Transportation and Parking guidelines for fall semester 2013.
  3. Carpool = the new cool. Ride a few days instead of driving and feel the difference for yourself. Carpooling helps you control your work schedule, introduces you to new community members, and costs only a quarter of what it does to drive alone. For example, you pay $10 vs. $40 for a monthly parking pass. Find your carpool on The Green or at drivelessconnect.org.
  4. Hop on the bus, Gus—and pay half price! Lewis & Clark provides a 50 percent subsidy for monthly TriMet bus passes purchased for use by faculty and staff who do not purchase a parking pass. You can find a route to campus at rtp.trimet.org.
  5. Pioneer Express? There’s an app for that! The Pioneer Express shuttle runs seven days a week and is free to all employees and students. Real-time GPS tracking data for the Pioneer Express is available for Android and iPhones.
  6. Combine bike and transit. Call the Bike Hotline at 503-823-2925 or visit the Bikes and TriMet website for more information about transit bike parking, loading your bike on bus racks, and more.
  7. CATS can help you get to Lewis & Clark. Coalition Advocating Transportation Solutions (CATS) has been an active student group on the law school campus for well over a decade. CATS offers maps and directions to Lewis & Clark for bike commuters coming from every corner of Portland.
  8. Fix a flat. Whether it’s your tire or your hair—otherwise know as “hat head”—don’t despair. You can still ride in style by taking advantage of Lewis & Clark’s bicycle resources such as repair stations and showers.
  9. Beat Reed. Join the annual September Bike Commute Challenge, win prizes, and experience the rush of victory when we trounce our main competitor, Reed College. You don’t have to bike every day—or even all of your commute. Just log the miles you do bike, and help us to a win.
  10. Get hip to Zip. Zipcar is a low-cost car-sharing program. This year, you can join for $15, and U Car Share members get Zipcar membership for free. Zipcars are located near Templeton and Holmes Hall.