Whether you’re a seasoned Bloomingtonian or the fresh kid on the block, getting around town can prove quite the hassle without a sci-fi transporter.
Luckily, you’ve got a plethora of options to choose from, varying in price, practicality and reliability; when weighing these priorities, also keep your location in mind.
Bloomington can be difficult to navigate. It’s set up in four general sections — north, east, south, west — and divided by pesky highways, particularly the west side.
As a lifelong townie and senior at IU myself, I’ve tested every method out there and tried on every hat to some success and some frustration.
The Wanderer
Wallet feeling a little light in your back pocket? Traversing the city by foot — with the smallest carbon footprint — is free if you’re able-bodied and own a sturdy pair of shoes.
Walking is always reliable, benefits your heart and brain and takes you through shortcuts that can help familiarize yourself with a new city.
However, if you live outside of a roughly 2-mile radius from the city center, walk times can be a reasonable 30-minute stroll or an ungodly hour-long hike. Unshielded from the elements, though, you risk crashing class as a soggy sponge or human popsicle.
The Rover
Easier would be simply hopping on your bike or an e-scooter. You can go faster and farther than on foot — especially for late risers and tardy tendencies — while remaining eco-friendly.
But you can end up shelling out, whether it’s renting or buying a bike or paying per minute on an e-scooter. Bird, however, offers a low-income pricing plan for $5 per month for rides 30 minutes or less.
Bad road conditions and disconnected segments of bike lines are dangerous, even if everyone on the road understands that Indiana law treats e-scooters similarly to bikes. The former is allowed only on roads with speed limits of 30 mph or slower and uncrowded sidewalks outside city center.
When your ride ends, however, you must still correctly park your scooter or effectively lock up your bike wheels.
The Stowaway
Bus routes scatter across Bloomington and campus, and they’re as free as walking if you flash the driver your student ID. The ride also provides a 15-minute buffer between coffee and class, which is the perfect time to do your NYT Connections.
Other people seem to realize these pros, too, especially in bad weather. Ensure plenty of time to wait for multiple buses, as the first one might be full before you can board. They can also be unreliable — sometimes five minutes early, other times 20 minutes late. Often the opposite of whatever you need it to be.
The Cruiser
Then there's the car —the American epitome: your own, a carpool, or a ride-sharing app. Ordering an Uber or Lyft home from bars is convenient, but unsustainable long-term.
Driving transports you from point A to point B the quickest. It’s helpful for commuter students and similarly accessible to a bus with room in the back for crutches, wheelchairs, bikes or a friend.
Obtaining a permit isn’t easy, though, and parking on-campus and downtown is few and far between. For a car-centric city, Bloomington is not driver-centric.
The Best of Both Worlds
At the end of the day, walking is free and reliable, but not always practical. Biking or renting an e-scooter is relatively cheap, reliable and mostly practical. Taking the bus is free, sometimes unreliable, but practical. Driving is exorbitant, mostly reliable, and somewhat practical.
Every option has its pros and cons, but it’s easy to get around once you find what works for you. You’ll likely dabble in a few before hitting your stride somewhere within the intersection of price, reliability, and practicality.
This article was originally published in the Housing & Living Guide, an IDS special publication.
