An Alternative to Parking on Campus

Contributer: Katie Avra

Why Ride the Bus?             

• Money!  I decided to start riding the bus when comparing the cost of a student parking pass and the cost of a student bus pass. Parking passes were nearly 4 x the cost of a bus pass, $300 vs. $75.
• Parking was another factor.  Once you get to campus, finding a decently close parking space is tough and many students end up parking in the Commonwealth Stadium Lot.  For those who venture to park, LexTran has free bus service for UK students from the Commonwealth Stadium parking lot. 

How much is Bus Fare?

• Students with valid ID: $.80
• Adults: $1.00
• Individuals with disabilities and a LexTran ID: $.50 

Should I Buy a Pass?

You have 2 good options with the Class Pass:

• For $50 you can buy a fall or spring pass with your student ID.
• For just $25 more at $75, you can buy an academic year pass. 

Here is the math part:

• The student rate of riding the bus is $.80.
• $75 is the cost of an academic year Class Pass.
• At the rate of $.80, after 94 rides on the bus, you have used the amount your Class Pass cost at $75.
• If you ride the bus 5 days/week to and from home  
• That equals 10 rides/week
• 32 weeks in the school year = 320 rides
• After the initial 94 rides that equal the cost of the pass, you have received 226 free rides.

By October 4^th I had made 94 trips on LexTran so my class pass paid for itself.  I have now had 160 free rides on LexTran.  You can purchase a bus pass online at LexTran’s website http://lextran.com/buy-a-pass or at the transit center at 200 East Vine Street M-F 8:00am-4:00pm.   

Commonly Used Routes

• Route 1- Woodhill travels Euclid.
• Route 3- Tates Creek travels Avenue of Champions and Euclid
• Route 5- Nicholasville Rd bus takes Limestone past Avenue of Champions and Alumni. If you are going to Taylor Ed, Reynolds, Gatton, or the Mall, Route 5 would be useful.
• Route 14- would be used for access to the stadium parking lot and Greg Page Apartments
• Route 15- Red Mile Road provides service to Angeliana Avenue, The Courtyards, Campus Court, and Red Mile Village.
• Route 16- Southland/BCTC is useful for going to WTY Library or The Study!
• Route 30- the UK Cats Cruiser for late-night campus routes.
• For a full list of routes and stops, go to http://lextran.com/routes.  

Which Routes are FREE?

• Route 14- the UK/Commonwealth Stadium route that is free for students to the stadium parking lot, Greg Page Student Apartments, and UK Medical Center.
• Route 30- the UK Cats Cruiser for late-night service for UK students on the Green Colt Trolley route, North and Central Campus Residence Halls, The 90, Euclid, Limestone, and the Apartment complexes of Royal Lexington, Newtown Crossing, Red Mile Village, Campus Court, The Courtyards, 524 Angliana, and The Lex.
• UK shuttle: School year routes run every 15 minutes, night and summer routes run every 30 minutes, on-demand campus service with 221-RIDE.

Commute

• The length of your commute depends on where you live. Most routes run every 35 minutes during the week and begin by 7:00am.
• If you live outside of downtown than likely you will take 2 buses to get to campus.
• If you live near or in downtown than likely you will take 1 bus.

Extras

• Football Shuttle: runs during football season with stops at the Civic Center, Transit Center, Ramsey’s, and to the corner of Cooper Drive and University Drive. The fare is $2.50 per ride or $5.00 round-trip.
• Colt Trolley: runs downtown during lunch and dinner as well as on the weekends with $1 fare.
• Keeneland Trolley: runs from the transit center to and from Keeneland during racing season and you get a $2 food voucher with regular ride fare. 

Tips

• Inbound means the bus is heading towards downtown and the transit center. It is completing its route.
• Outbound means the bus is leaving the transit center and starting its route.
• Transfers are free and unlimited between buses. If you need to take another bus on your trip, tell the driver when you pay, that you need a transfer.
• Take care of your bus pass.  LexTran will not replace lost or damaged passes.
• Consider bringing reading materials, homework, and music with headphones.  

Resources

LexTran’s website: http://www.lextran.com

Route Schedules and Stops: http://lextran.com/routes

Buying a Pass online: http://lextran.com/buy-a-pass

UK Campus Shuttle: http://www.uky.edu/pts/buses-and-shuttles_campus-shuttles