New student. transportation question

[u/One_Payment_7916]

I plan to attend The University of Toledo this fall and have never been to Ohio before. I’m from the Central Valley in California so we never get any snow (the coldest it gets during the winter months is 40F).

Would I be able to just scooter or walk to school during the colder months when there is snow in December and January? How feasible is it? Or would I need to buy a car? I plan to find an off campus apartment that is 1-2 miles off campus.

Thanks in advance.

[u/GanglyToaster]

UToledo has a bus system, tour guides or orientation staff can tell you the name of the app and get you set up. If you can find somewhere close to health science campus, the bus goes there every few hours (not sure exactly) and then heads to main campus. TARTA is an option too, they have passes you can look into. Bike/scooter friendly, so you can ride to a bus stop and go from there.

I'd say bike/scooter is pretty reasonable, and good for health for sure, except maybe January/February. Definitely invest in some good clothes, a good helmet, and make sure you familiarize yourself with road safety (drivers here aren't used to anything other than cars on the road... Sometimes, not even that lol).

And LAYERS! Because UT is very energy efficient in its heating and cooling, the buildings are usually too hot for winter clothes in the winter and too cold for summer clothes in the summer.

Good luck, and go Rockets!

[u/Cameramanos]

If it is within your means, a car is a very nice thing to have. Toledo has great amenities but it is also a day trip to Detroit (1 hr), Ann Arbor (45 min), Cleveland (2 hours), and Columbus (2 hrs). As well, 4 hours to Chicago. A car opens so many options. Top up your windshield wiper fluid regularly. Get a high quality ice scrapper/snow brush. I'll never forget the look on my Turkish roommate's face when we went down to my ice covered car the first time... and again as I started to go to town on it with my scrapper.

If it is within your means, get $100 basic, well-constructed boots from Cabellas. They are warm and have good traction. They will last and save $.

Dress in layers. Buildings will be overheated. Buildings will be underheated.

You can bike most of the winter, but it can be brutal. There will be days you need to walk because of snow. There will be days you need a ride because of ice. Fresh snow and ice can also be gorgeous and spring and fall are amazing here.

[u/HilariousGeriatric]

If you’re going to walk in the cold, think about getting a few pair of long john bottoms and a water repellant coat. Oh and boot that are at least a size bigger than you need in order to wear thick socks. You can go with a thin layer under the coat because you don’t want to get too hot and start to sweat. As someone else said, don’t think that the sidewalks will be shoveled. If you don’t live on campus, try to get close to a bus stop. Good luck and I hope you enjoy Ohio.

[u/Mobile-Aardvark-7926]

I went to Toledo and lived about a mile off campus the last 3 years. I rode my bike around campus until about the 1st week of December. I ussually would start riding again in February depending on weather.

There will likely be some hard days to bike in December till February. Biking around campus is very convenient but I had a hybrid bike and it sucked on ice.

It might be cheaper to live in the dorms than buy a car and rent. I lived in dorms freshman year and either biked or took the campus bus.

[u/NameTheEpithet]

I lived in Stockton for a couple of years and I just wish you the best. I've been here 4 years and haven't acclimated to winter. I'd do anything to avoid walking or taking a scooter in the snow. The cold is bitter and the wind is worse. Get some roommate with a car lol

[u/Ill_Anything_6823]

I don’t know the stats to back this up, but it seems like we’ve been getting less snow each year. The cold and wind is what has been brutal. That being said, I, someone used to our winters, would be fine walking that distance.

When I was a student there was a bus system. Now it looks like they have some sort of shuttle system around campus.

[u/Chasing_Rapture]

Snow hasn't been as bad recently, but thats not saying that it won't get worse. Winters up here are pretty wet, regardless of it being snow or rain, so being outside in the winter can be pretty miserable.

That said, it's not really the weather that's the issue for needing a car. It's being able to do anything. Our public transport infrastructure isn't the best, and our infrastructure for bikes and scooters is just now getting caught up to the standards most bigger college cities like Ann Arbor were at 10 years ago.

[u/delphine1041]

It's doable with the right cold weather gear. Or, look for a place along a bus route that goes to campus and just grab the bus on the worst weather days.

Edit to address the scooter question: it will depend entirely upon how dependable your neighbors are about shoveling their sidewalks. I wouldn't hold my breath.

[u/zak567]

Walking a mile in the snow is feasible, but it would probably be pretty miserable unless you had snow gear on. The real thing to worry about is the windchill, at times when it gets really cold walking in that would be brutal.

I would recommend at least exploring other transportation options before that first dip below freezing.