Remember when we used to actually go into school? Yeah, I don’t remember either. But apparently, starting fall quarter 2021, Bellevue College will begin to offer more in-person classes. If you choose in-person, you’ll need to figure out how to get to BC. Here are a couple of transportation options that may work for you.
Orca Card:
Youth ages 6-18 are able to get their first ORCA card (One Regional Card for All) for free. The card can be used on Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit, Washington State Ferries, Seattle Monorail and Seattle Streetcar. To get the card, make sure you have your driver’s license, State ID, Student ID or birth certificate with you. Then, go onto this site, create an account and fill out the necessary information. Once you have the card, you are able to pay $1.50 for your whole transit trip and are allowed to make transfers to other services the ORCA card offers (transfer has to happen in a two-hour time period).
Cars:
Bellevue College has accessible student parking lots and driving to BC is totally an option. If you are looking for an affordable used car, here are just a few cars the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recommends. If you want to learn more about what cars the IIHS recommends, they have a list here.
Note about used cars and miles: A car can last for about 200,000 miles before significant problems arise. According to CarAndDriver, the average driver drives about 13,500 miles per year. This equates to a car being able to last for a little under 15 years.
Mazda 3: This sporty-looking car is super compact, making it easy to park, but it does limit the space in the car for potential guests. If someone is interested in this car, IIHS recommends years 2014 or newer. On the CarMax website, there’s a 2015 Mazda 3 that is going for $18,988 with 49K miles. If you are interested in a Mazda 3, CarMax has some more options you can look at.
Honda Civic: An overall basic car that is spacious and fits most people’s needs. IIHS recommends 2012 or newer. The pricing varies largely, but the CarMax website currently shows a 2012 Honda Civic EX for $14,599 with 98K miles.
Toyota Corolla: A super reliable car that is well-known for being a high-quality used car. IIHS recommends 2014 or newer. When looking at the CarMax website, there is a 2015 Toyota Corolla LE Eco going for $15,998 with 71K miles.
For the most part, people haven’t gone into school for the past year and a half, so it may feel weird to talk about transportation. However, there are so many different options out there to get from place to place. Do your research and pick whatever works best for you.
