Commuter Services is pleased to announce the opening of the new TRAX-Union, electric shuttle route. This new route, closed to private vehicles, bisects campus from north to south and links the Business Loop roadway to the Union Building, providing faster service, roughly 15 minutes, between these two major campus hubs.

The electric shuttle will operate on this route from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every weekday and is carefully timed to arrive shortly after trains arrive at the South Campus Drive TRAX station. Traveling north, the shuttle will have three stops — the Arts & Education Building, Languages & Communication Building (LNCO)and finally, the Union before returning to TRAX.

“The new electric shuttle transecting campus will do much more than reduce campus pollution,” said Alma Allred, executive director of Commuter Services. “Now that we are able to travel directly from the TRAX station to the Union, we will save thousands of miles each year by not having to drive all the way around campus. We can deliver students to the Union in less than half time it takes to circumnavigate the campus. Additionally, electricity for fuel is cheaper than diesel, so it’s much more cost effective.”

The electric shuttle charges daily at a depot located along the new route close to the TRAX pickup and drop-off location. One charge can power the bus for an entire day’s use, as opposed to the 30 gallons of diesel fuel that a regular shuttle would use, making for a much cleaner and more economical service.

Use of the TRAX-Union route is limited to the electric shuttle bus during hours of operation but will occasionally be used to facilitate high traffic flow following special events to provide a faster and more efficient exit off campus. Commuters can follow the electric shuttle route on Commuter Services’ live shuttle tracker, noting its mauve-colored path.

Projects such as these are part of the university’s ongoing effort to advance sustainable, energy-efficient initiatives that improve our environment while also better meeting the needs of the campus community.

Travel on TRAX and campus Commuter Services vehicles is free to students, staff and faculty with a valid UCard, thanks to an ongoing partnership between the university and UTA.

For additional information, please visit the Commuter Services website or call 801-581-6415.