Getting around Baton Rouge without your own car these days is about more than catching a cab or calling a friend. Alternative options have sprung up throughout the city for everything from airport pickup to a ride to Taco Bell. Which one is right for you?
The digital option:Uber
A fave of bar hoppers, night owls and tailgaters, ridesharing app Uber has dominated the alternative transportation scene since its local launch in 2014. Calling one of its hundreds of drivers for a ride is a solid bet, but look out for the higher prices on game days.
Average time for pickup: 5 minutes
Minimum fare: $5.75
The eco-friendly option:Bike rental
If you don’t mind getting active, or you want to watch your carbon footprint, LSU’s expanded UREC offers bike rentals on a same-day, 24-hour and weekend basis. Even if you don’t have anywhere to go, cruising around the shady campus or the nearby lakes isn’t a bad way to spend a day.
Bike models available: 3 (City Bike, S3 700c Draft Lite, SE Draft)
Non-member price for 24-hour rental: $30
The ride-in-style option: Elite Concierge
You don’t have to be rich to roll up to your destination in a shiny Rolls-Royce Ghost, Cadillac Escalade or Mercedes Sprinter Limo, thanks to New Orleans-based transportation service Elite Concierge, which came to Baton Rouge in late 2015. Services include hourly cruises, point-to-point driving, airport transfers and weddings.
In-town airport transfer rate: $75-150
Minimum driving hours for point-to-point: 3
The everyday convenience option: Garden District Trolley
The city kicked off 2015 with the premiere of the Garden District Trolley, which can whisk you from Southdowns to the Garden District to downtown and back again for one low rate. If you can catch the trolley, paying for downtown parking might become a thing of the past.
Adult fare: $1.75
Number of stops: 5
The coming-soon option: Nicholson streetcar
This highly anticipated streetcar, formally known as TramLinkBR, aims to unite the Nicholson Drive area with downtown in the coming years. With some luck, the streetcar could get federal funding in the 2016-2017 budget.
