If you’re like me, you don’t live in Downtown Houston. It’s where I work and socialize, but I pay a heavy price to get down there every day because I commute.

My experiences in using the Metro transit system go like this: If I can do it, you can do it.

I live more than 28 miles away from campus and taking my car to work can take between 90 and 120 minutes on a bad day. After much thought about the issue, I knew that there had to be a better way.

I started asking people questions about commuter options and I found out about the Park and Ride system. Metro has 29 Park and Ride lots throughout our sprawling city and there should be one on your side of town.

This cushy tour bus offers nonstop service straight into downtown for a fee that is cheaper than gas, and to make the price even better, students pay half-price.

UH also offers staff a cash incentive if you join the commuter club and agree to give up your parking tag. The day that I relinquished my parking tag was monumental and I’ve never looked back.

Now, while my bus driver is handling all the dirty work by taking the high occupancy vehicle lanes and bypassing the gridlock, I am reading my book, playing on my phone, catching up on Netflix or even taking a quick nap. I feel absolutely spoiled with my door-to-door service that involves no traffic stress whatsoever. The bonus part about it is that I’m saving my car from wear and tear and I’m contributing to a greener environment.

The future is looking even brighter with the light rail being built, as it will be connecting downtown and UH. Although I currently take a city bus from downtown to UH — a quick 15-minute ride that is free for Park and Ride users — soon, we will also have the option of taking the train to campus.

I encourage you to give mass transit a chance. Like anything new, it will take a bit of adjustment to find the schedule that works for you. Once you do, you’ll be glad you made the switch.

Nicolette Solano is an administrative secretary in chemical engineering and can be reached at nsolano2@central.uh.edu.