From time to time, USC students can feel frustrated about the long wait time to get a free Lyft rideshare service via the USC Lyft Rides program. In my own experience, there were times when it could take as long as 30 minutes to get a driver, especially after my classes that ended at 10 p.m. Moreover, the driver might still cancel on you after the long wait, throwing you back into the abyss of despair. This is when I would choose to take a 20-minute walk back to my place.

This is not an isolated incident. In a previous article published by the Daily Trojan, students also shared their experience of eventually having to walk back to their residences at night after having no luck with securing a ride. 

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The unpredictability of getting a shared Lyft turned me to use other USC Transportation options — especially the C Route buses that operate on the north side of campus, starting from Leavey Library and taking passengers as far north as West 23rd Street. The earliest bus departs at 6:20 a.m. and the last bus leaves at 10 p.m., offering an alternate safe transportation option for students who have to go to or stay on campus at night. 

The C Route bus offers a good transportation alternative for students. It is safe, environmentally friendly and mostly convenient for students who cannot get a Shryft or need a ride between campus and their residences outside the Lyft program hours. 

However, the service has some flaws, too. For instance, the buses are not always on time and sometimes get delayed due to traffic. 

Another issue is that the operation hours have become shorter in the past school year, with the last bus departing Leavey Library at 7 p.m. This means students will have to completely rely on Shryft as a transportation option if they miss the 7 p.m. bus.

Besides, C Route buses only benefit students living north of campus. According to the USC Transportation website, there are currently only two routes that completely operate within the Department of Public Safety zone on the main campus. One of them is the Parking Center route that takes people from different locations on the main campus to the Little Building and the Grand Avenue Structure on South Grand Avenue. The other one is the C Route. 

Currently, there is no similar bus service or route for students living on the west side of campus. The west side, in particular, has many student housing developments under construction and more landlords favoring student tenants over others. This means that the student population living west of Vermont Avenue is large and will continue to grow in the future, indicating the potential necessity of adding bus stops on the west side of campus. 

In Fall 2023, USC started charging students a mandatory $93 fee for transportation services on a semesterly basis. The fee will increase by $23, or roughly 5.4%, starting in Fall 2024. According to a statement released on the USC Transportation website, the fee was intended to cover the cost of the Lyft program, support the USC bus system and the Los Angeles Metro U-Pass program, which allows students to take L.A. public transportation for free. Students cannot request a fee waiver with statements of financial hardship or claims to not use the transportation services. With the rise in transportation fees and no option for a waiver, students should receive more safe transportation options when they go out in the evening.

Having additional USC bus stops can offer students an evening transportation option that undoubtedly supplements the Lyft program. Taking a bus operated by the university not only helps to lower transportation costs but also reduces the anxiety and safety risks that can come with the long wait times for a Shryft or outside transportation. 

Other than expanding the existing C Route, USC could consider adding a completely new route that completely operates on the west side, or implement a special evening route. UCLA currently offers an evening bus service, SafeRide Loop, that covers the more remote areas and locations on campus from 6:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. USC can also operate evening buses one hour apart, cover more areas in the DPS zone and accommodate students living farther away from campus.

With more transportation options offered, USC could better prioritize the safety of students and enable them to travel to and from school with more convenience.