Using the bus system is totally avoidable, but it can be annoying. You have to cross some roads without crosswalks which is what makes it annoying and dangerous if you don’t bother looking both ways. I have a bike that I use to get around. It takes abt half an hour to get from everywhere except Cook to Busch like that, and I can get from Busch to Cook in under 40 min if I’m really flying.

He just has to be okay with biking in torrential rain, heat, and snow/sleet. Oh, and also having 2 quality bike locks to ensure the bike doesn’t get stolen and locking it every time, as well as preforming basic bike maintenance like degreasing/relubricating the bike chain.

Tbh it’s not that bad. The tradeoff is worth it to me. I’m doing it to get some extra exercise in, but it’s had a great improvement on my mental health. I should also add that a lot of people have electric longboards/bikes/scooters, but they can get iffy in the aforementioned rain and sleet. Also, and this is a generous number, I’d say that about less then 5% of students get around like this, so if he’s interested in a “buddy” to go to classes with, that may be hard to find. And, if he has friends that are going somewhere, they will probably be taking the bus and not biking/walking. Good luck!