Welcome back to Hoostories, everybody! This topic is really important when coming
in to college: how do I get everywhere? Today, we want to cover all the ways that UVa
students get from place to place, so that you can be a Master-Navigator of Grounds
when you come to UVa, this fall or anytime.
Driving
As far as cars go, you can’t have one as a first-year. This might feel like a bummer, but
because UVa is so easy to get around using public transportation, walking, and biking,
having a car is not the priority of most students here. Parking can also get expensive in
college towns, so you don’t have to worry about getting a parking permit, or paying
for parking in your first year on Grounds. You can bring one your second, third, and
fourth year, so if you love your car, fear not!
Busses
Via parking.virginia.edu
YES. UVa students have great access to busses during their time here. There are two free
bus lines for all students to use, the first is the University Transit System, which we call
the UTS or UVa busses. Those busses run to absolutely everywhere you need to go. If
it’s cold out and you don’t want to walk to class, the busses have you. If you just finished
at the gym and you feel like your legs might give out, bus it back to your dorm. If you’re
volunteering at the hospital, you can take a bus right to your shift. Even if you need to get
groceries, go to Chipotle, or run to a friend’s apartment Off-Grounds, the busses have
stops at ALL those places. There will always be busses that can take you where you need
to go. You can find a full list of schedules and stops using the link below, and you can
check when the busses arrive and leave stops using the Rider app.
In addition to our UVa busses, we have Charlottesville Area Transit System (CAT) busses
as well! The CAT busses are also all free for UVa students, and these busses an take you
just about anywhere in Charlottesville. My favorite is the Trolley, a bus which takes
people from first-year dorms, through Central Grounds, right to Charlottesville’s Downtown
Mall, and then back. The CAT busses are great resources for getting around, and having
these two bus lines make getting around Grounds and getting around the city a breeze. Plus,
the CAT busses have an app too, so you’ll always know when they’re coming and going.
Full list of stops and schedules below!
https://www.charlottesville.org/departments-and-services/city-services/charlottesville-area
https://www.charlottesville.org/departments-and-services/city-services/charlottesville-area
Bikes
UBikes from UVa’s Bikeshare Program - via UBike Facebook Group.
I have always loved biking, and brought my bike to college. UVa is a great place to bike,
with bike paths on almost all roads, well-paved streets, and really accessible bike trails all
around grounds. If you don’t have a bike, you can utilize UVa’s Ubikes, which are fleets
of the blue bikes you see above. You can pay to unlock them, ride them anywhere, and lock
the bike when you’re done. Bikes are a great way to keep active and have fun, and get all
around UVa and Charlottesville.
Walking
Walking in front of Old Cabell Hall - via UVa Today.
A CLASSIC mode of transportation. We may have lots of busses and bikes here, but UVa
is a very walkable campus. In my first year, I lived in the furthest away dorm building
AND the furthest away room, but my walk to class was still less than 15 minutes every day.
You have access to really great transportation here at UVa, but you can always walk
anywhere, even off-Grounds. We have sidewalks on all the streets in and around UVa, great
lighting, and signs absolutely everywhere so that you won’t get lost walking in your first
few days on-Grounds.
Limes
You've probably seen them taking over the nation: electric scooters. As frequently as I
compare them to geese for a typical limer's aggression, ubiquity, and threat of dive-bombing,
they are actually pretty convenient (oops). They are $1 t start up and 15 cents for each minute.
You can drop them wherever you are done with your ride which means there are always limes
in heavily trafficked areas like apartment complexes, dining halls, and academic buildings.
However, if you leave one then turn back around, it will most likely be gone already. Liming is
a cheap and addicting alternative to the bus system but if you do partake, please respect
pedestrians.
Lime Scooters - via Newsweek.
Limes
You've probably seen them taking over the nation: electric scooters. As frequently as I
compare them to geese for a typical limer's aggression, ubiquity, and threat of dive-bombing,
they are actually pretty convenient (oops). They are $1 t start up and 15 cents for each minute.
You can drop them wherever you are done with your ride which means there are always limes
in heavily trafficked areas like apartment complexes, dining halls, and academic buildings.
However, if you leave one then turn back around, it will most likely be gone already. Liming is
a cheap and addicting alternative to the bus system but if you do partake, please respect
pedestrians.
Lime Scooters - via Newsweek.
No matter how you choose to get around, UVa has really great transportation systems in
place for all our students. We even have those Lime scooters everywhere, and those have
been really popular among students in the last few months. If you have any questions about
transportation here, please feel free to reach out and ask! Check back tomorrow for more
info about coming to school at UVa.
Signing off,
Abby S. and Will S.
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