Relying on rideshare apps to go to college is the only option I have. I don’t have a driver’s license, and my parents leave for work before I go to campus.

According to Highway Statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, 68.3% of 19-year-olds had their driver’s licenses in 2021.

I am a part of the 31.7% of 19-year-olds who do not.

I started to use the Uber app last fall semester. I was terrified because I had never used it before, but I had no other way of getting to campus.

Uber makes the process of getting rides through the app easy, however, one thing I was unsure about was where the driver would drop me off.

El Camino is a big campus and I knew there would be multiple drop-off locations, but I didn’t know where exactly.

There are two Uber/Lyft drop-off locations: One in parking Lot J on Redondo Beach Boulevard and parking Lot B on Manhattan Beach Boulevard.

When the driver dropped me off for the first time, I noticed there was a small sign at the drop-off that read “Uber/Lyft.”

I thought this was a nice addition to the drop-off areas to make the drop-offs easier, but it didn’t.

The signs are barely visible.

El Camino should implement larger signs and arrows pointing to the designated Uber drop-off spots, in addition to colored areas making it easier for drivers to find locations to drop off students.

When it came to getting dropped off, some of my Uber drivers found it quite difficult to make a left turn into the Lot B drop-off. The driveway into Lot B on Manhattan Beach Boulevard is hidden which can confuse drivers.

Speaking up and telling the driver to turn left would scare me but if I didn’t, the driver would pass it and would have to make a U-turn, making the entire situation more frustrating.

A bigger and clearer sign could help make for smoother trips for myself and the other students on campus who use rideshare apps to and from El Camino.

It would especially help drivers who suffer most from this location confusion issue, and a big sign could help them indicate where to drop off the student.

According to the Business of Apps, over 131 million people used Uber in 2022, which was an 11% increase from 2021. Drivers completed over 7.6 billion trips in the same year.

Installing clearer and larger signs for Uber drop-off locations is easier said than done, but it would be beneficial for students who rely on rideshare apps to get them to campus as well as the drivers who make a living off of the apps.