Shuttle

Your favorite alternative transportation options just got better. Read on for updates on the university shuttle lines and Zipcar.

Ride the Wake

Did you know that you can track the location of the Downtown, Grey, Black and Gold line shuttles in real time? The Department of Computer Science developed real-time viewing for the shuttles’ positions using GPS technology. Track the location of your ride and stay warm and productive in your office or apartment until your shuttle approaches your stop. Check it out at http://shuttle.cs.wfu.edu/ from your computer or download the free Ride the Wake app for your iPhone or iPad.

Also new to the Ride the Wake lines, a weekend shuttle loop was added to the university’s alternative transportation options. University community members can now travel to Hanes Mall and the River Birch Lodge shopping center on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Shuttles depart from the Benson Center and run on a continuous loop.

Zipcar – Wheels when you want them!

Based on continuously climbing demand, Zipcar has added a third car to the WFU campus fleet.  The new silver Mazda lives in Lot N – between Kitchin and Poteat.  We hope that this will be convenient for faculty and staff working on the north side of campus as well as for students living on the Quad and north campus residence halls.

Remember, you can have an account with Zipcar for your personal use and you can join a departmental account for all WFU-related travel. With a departmental account, travel is charged directly to your department – no need for travel reimbursements.

Additionally, thanks to a partnership with Ford Motor Company, the Ford Focus that is located in front of Johnson Residence Hall comes with a discount. As part of Ford’s sponsorship, the hourly rate for the Ford vehicle on campus is reduced by $1/hour. The program will cover two academic years, beginning September 1, 2011 and ending August 31, 2013.

To learn more and to sign-up for Zipcar, visit the WFU Zipcar web site: http://www.zipcar.com/wfu

By Caitlin Brooks-Edwards, Wake Forest Fellow

Photo by De'Noia Woods, Photography Intern

The transition between the spring and fall semesters of 2010 brought huge changes for the university’s department of transportation. Most notable of these is the two-fold increase in ridership on the Gold and Black shuttle lines. Ridership on those two lines topped 6,000 students last month.  These lines provide convenient rides to and from WFU campus and local apartment complexes. Students have enthusiastically jumped on board as they realized the financial savings on both gas and parking passes, as well as the extended hours offered by the shuttles.  This last factor had a huge impact on the increased ridership on the line.

Increased service to more apartment complexes also met the needs and wants expressed by students. GPS technology which allows riders to view the real-time locations of the shuttles has also been introduced this semester to add further convenience to the shuttle system.

The improved shuttle system is not the only successful transportation program that has been launched in the past year. Use of the Zipcar vehicles has increased steadily since its arrival on campus last spring. Since July, membership has tripled and continued growth at this rate will merit the addition of another vehicle to the fleet next spring. Other types of vehicles, such as a truck which could be utilized for moving purposes, are being considered for addition in the future.

An exciting transportation option that became available this semester is the on-campus solar shuttle.  The solar shuttle, which is a solar-electric hybrid vehicle, provides students a convenient means to travel to and from different locations on the Reynolda campus. The exact route has yet to be determined, and will be designed around input from a school-wide survey. If the existing shuttles’ popularity is any indication, the future is bright for the transportation department’s newest addition to the fleet of vehicles providing convenient, free transportation to university faculty, staff and students.

By Jackie Staiger, Marketing Intern