Getting Around in LA

While Katelyn was in Los Angeles for work, attending LA CoMotion, she opted not to get a rental car to keep for the full week but instead opted for other “mobility options” throughout her stay. With congestion being so bad downtown, there are a lot of options to get around so you don’t have to deal with stop and go traffic.

Below are some of the options Katelyn took while in LA:

Ride Hailing

Perhaps the easiest way to get around in Los Angeles is simply by using your favorite ride hailing applications. What’s ‘ride hailing’? These are platforms like Uber and Lyft! Although you won’t get away from the congestion of LA roads, at least you can relax in the back seat and maybe even get some work done in the meantime. This is how Katelyn got around the majority of the time. It was quick and easy to get from the hotel to the venue and back as well as into the thick of downtown in the evenings. No headache of driving and not dealing with parking!

Scooters

Once you get in LA, you’ll immediately notice all of the electric scooters around town. If you’re not familiar with the scooter share model, companies like Bird, Spin and Lime allow you to rent electric scooters to get around. Just pick one up where ever you find it and leave it at your destination. You unlock and pay using their own mobile apps. It’s very simple and it is a great option for short trips (less than 2 miles)… and keeps you out of traffic! This is a great option for short commutes, like from going to the coffee shop from your hotel or leaving the venue for a nearby lunch.

Rental Car

If you do feel like taking on the LA traffic yourself so you can come and go as you please, you can most definitely rent a car. You can go the traditional route (Avis, Budget, etc.) or you can think about a daily car rental through a platform like GM’s Maven. Katelyn and a colleague ended up renting a Maven car for a few hours to go down to Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. To get a Maven car, download the app and find a car near you (usually in a public parking lot or structure). You’ll use your phone to unlock the door and start driving. You rent it by the hour and you can take it anywhere you want. It even includes a gas card if you need to refuel. At the end of your trip you just put it back where you picked it up and follow the direction in the app.