With summer in full swing, students may try to avoid walking around in the warmth. Luckily, there are many alternate forms of transportation offered at various times of the day and night in the Bryan-College Station area.
AggieSpirit bus
One of the most popular options for transportation is the AggieSpirit bus. With 18 routes on and off campus, there are few places the service does not reach.
The buses, which run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer and even later during the school year, are free for Texas A&M students and staff, as well as anyone with a Brazos Valley Transit Pass.
According to public health senior Amber Davis, who has driven an Aggie bus since 2014, the buses are a safe and cheap way to transit campus.
“AggieSpirit buses drive some 1.82 million miles and carry 7 million riders each year,” Davis said. “The best part for students is that they don’t have to deal with traffic. They also don’t have to pay a dime.”
Davis said that while crowding on the buses is something students need to take into account, it is often avoidable.
“You may have to work around the schedule, but because there are so many buses your wait time is never long,” Davis added. “Since few people ride in the early mornings, that’s the optimal time to ride.”
CARPOOL
Another safe and free option for students is CARPOOL. According to Adriana Hensley, CARPOOL’s director of Public Relations, “CARPOOL aims to provide a free, safe, nonjudgmental ride home to anyone who needs one.”
CARPOOL runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. during the spring and fall semesters.
“CARPOOL is completely student run, and you can be sure that you will be taken home by caring Aggies,” Hensley said. “Each ride is confidential, so there is no need for students to worry about drivers discussing who was taken home, what occurred during the ride or what was witnessed.”
Zagster
For students looking for a more physically active way to get around campus while saving time and money, A&M offers a new bike rental program through Zagster. Membership for students is $25 a year and includes the first hour free on weekdays and three hours free on weekends. After the allotted time, the price is $3 an hour.
“When I transferred, I was extremely excited to see Texas A&M had a bike share program like Zagster.” Mechanical engineering senior Ashton Greene, who has been using the program since he started college in Boston said.
“The bikes are nice, the app is easy to use and the membership is pretty cheap,” Greene said.
Beat the heat with public transportation
June 13, 2017
Photo by Map provided by TAMU Transportation
Graphic by Hayley Douglas
AggieSpirit buses run all around the Bryan-College Station area.
0
Donate to The Battalion
Your donation will support the student journalists of Texas A&M University - College Station. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.