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 Bus Service in Phoenix
You can pick up a copy of the Busbook in the International Students Center. The Busbook contains information about bus routes, schedules, and fares.
You can usually find bus routes close to where you live, though the times may not always be convenient. There are local and express bus routes to most parts of the greater Phoenix area. For online schedules and other bus information, see the Valley Metro web site at http://www.valleymetro.maricopa.gov Automobiles and Driving
If bus transportation is not always convenient and available, you may want to get a driver license and buy a car to drive. Though cars are in many ways the easiest form of transportation in this large valley, you should think long and hard before you take steps to buy a car. First, figure out how much you can afford to spend on a car, title and license, insurance, maintenance, and fuel. Owning a car could double your expenses as a student at GCC. Discuss the matter with your financial sponsor
as well. If your sponsor doesn't know that you are planning to get a car, he or she may be very surprised when your expenses suddenly are doubled. Even if you buy a relatively inexpensive car for around $5,000, you could easily spend another $5,000 per year on fuel, license plates, upkeep, tires, repairs, parking, and insurance. Before you even think about buying a car, be sure to get an Arizona driver license. Driver LicensesEveryone who drives in Arizona must have a valid driver license or instruction permit. As an out-of-state foreign student you can drive with an International Driver License and your home country driver license. Or if you have a valid driver license issued in another state, you don't have to get an Arizona driver license. However, if you plan to stay in Arizona for a few years, it is advisable for you to obtain an
Arizona license. In fact, you may not be able to get car insurance without an Arizona license.
To apply for an Arizona driver license, you should go to the nearest office of the Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). There are MVD offices in Glendale and Phoenix that serve the area around GCC. Ask the International Student Center staff for help in finding the MVD office nearest you.
Once you have located the most convenient MVD office, you should plan to go there with the proper documents. You are required to furnish two documents that prove your identity and your date of birth, so the best documents to carry are your passport and your 1-20. You must also pay a fee for the license. Your fee will be based on your age, but it will probably cost you at least $25 to apply for the license. You may use cash or a check to pay the fee.
The MVD will test your vision, so if you use glasses, be sure to wear them when you visit the MVD. There is also a written test based on information found in the Arizona Driver License Manual. You may borrow a copy of the manual from the International Students Center. The MVD may also want you to take a road test, although this isn't always necessary.
Never drive a car at any time in the United States if you do not have some kind of
valid license. Also, do not drive any car without car insurance. It is against the law, as well as being extremely dangerous and risky to drive in this country without a license and/or insurance. Motor Vehicle Division
General Information (602) 255-0072
Driver License Information (602) 255-0072 The nearest Driver License offices are listed below: Avondale
1702 North 10th Street
Glendale
5890 West Beverly Lane (just south of Bell Rd. on the east side of 59th Ave.) Phoenix
13021 North 7th Street
3535 South 7th Street
2339 North 20th Avenue |
