Transportation across the U’s 1,535-acre campus is about to become a lot easier.
Next year, Commuter Services will debut seven new shuttle routes. That process begins, though, on Thursday, April 28, when Commuter Services will host an open house to inform the campus community on the stops of the new routes and how frequently shuttles will run on each one. Students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to name the new routes at the event.
Shuttles on the new routes will vary in frequency. Some shuttles are scheduled to run every five minutes, while the least frequent route will have shuttles arriving every 20 minutes. The amount of time the shuttle takes to travel its entire loop will change for each route and the time of day. Melissa Johnson, the director of Commuter Services, said the department’s goal is to eventually reduce the amount of time it takes each shuttle to run its route to between 10 and 15 minutes.
Commuter Services is using different names from those they have used in the past. The department wants to do away with the colors they use for their current routes because the routes for next academic year will be different and they don’t want students to be confused.
“In my opinion, names should be more indicative of their destination,” Johnson said.
Along with the route changes, Commuter Services will be using a few new electric shuttles. These won’t replace the current buses but are an addition to the U’s fleet. Johnson said these shuttles are more expensive, which is why Commuter Services is applying for a grant from UTA to afford more.
The new routes are expected to increase the efficiency of commuting around campus. They were designed to avoid duplicating UTA’s services and quicken transportation, Johnson said.
Sara Smith, a sophomore in exercise and sports science, said she’s excited for the new routes and hopes they will better accommodate her busy schedule.
The open house is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Union lobby. More information can be found at attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/new-shuttle-route/.
@emilyinorgandy