Unitrans

Unitrans is the bus service is managed by ASUCD, the UC Davis student body, and operated by students. They offer great coverage of the city and are a great way to commute to and from campus. There are bus terminals at both the Silo and Memorial Union on campus. The bus stops and schedules can be found on the Unitrans website. You can also use Google Maps to plan your route (it's usually pretty accurate).

Because Unitrans is funded by ASUCD, students can ride the bus for free. All you need to do is show the driver your student ID. If you are not a student, (put fares in table?) fare is currently $1.50 to ride the bus. You can also buy passes through the ZipPass mobile app or at the UC Davis store. Costs are $8.50 for ten rides, $34 for a month, $87 for the quarter, or $245 for the annual pass.

I ride Unitrans often, especially in the winter when it is too cold or wet for me to bike. Most of the time, service is frequent and reliable. One of the few issues I have is that bus service is pretty sparse on the weekends. Also, because so many people rely on Unitrans, buses can get very packed and it can be an uncomfortable (albiet short) bus ride. Overall, it's a great option for students.

YoloBus

YoloBus is a bus service for all of Yolo County. It has multiple stops in Davis, including the Memorial Union terminal. I have used Yolo Bus to visit Downtown Sacramento or to go to the airport. They also service Woodland and Winters. Just like Unitrans, YoloBus is free with your student ID so you can save a lot of money by using YoloBus to go to and from the airport instead of something like Uber, especially since ride share services will upcharge for airport fares.

Yolo County service is not bad, but it can be a little inconsistent. There have been a few times where I have had to wait a lot longer than I expected for the bus to arrive. I think YoloBus is a good way for non-car owners to visit Sacramento.

Safe Ride

Safe Ride is a free rideshare service offered by the UC Davis Police Department for UC Davis students and employees. As the name implies, it is a way for you to safely get back home, even if it is night and the buses have stopped running or there is no bus stop near you home.

Safe Ride operates 7 days a week and can take you from campus to another on-campus location (5PM - 3AM) or a residential address in Davis (8PM - 3AM). To book a Safe Ride, you can either install the UC Davis Safe Ride app or you can call 530-754-2677.

Safe Ride is a really cool service that helps people feel safe, but it is not necessarily the most convenient option. Wait time can be very long, especially during busy times. I would try to use other transit options if they are available and you feel safe using them.

Davis-Berkley Shuttle

The Davis-Berkley shuttle offers a relatively inexpensive way to travel to Berkley and the bay area for UC Davis students and employees. Currently, the shuttle runs every day except Saturday and certain holidays and tickets cost $20 one way. The shuttle schedule can be found Here. Each person can bring two carry-ons and the bus is equipped with WiFi and outlets. (list times, price, pros/cons).

I have not used the shuttle, but it does seem like a pretty good way to go to the Bay for the weekend.