SAN ANGELO, TX - Angelo State University (ASU) administrators are revving up the focus to make transportation easier for students.
Beginning in the Spring of 2017, ASU will offer shuttle buses to students. If students park in Foster Field, they will be transported to a central location on campus; as of now, this central place will most likely be the Ben Kelly Center for Human Performance (CHP).
ASU President Brian May explained “kids will be able to park at Foster Field, and we're going to have two buses that will be running constantly. They will probably be running every five to ten minutes.”
Due to the construction on campus at ASU, some parking has been closed off to students.
“We’ve had to take off so much parking because of construction, [so] we’re trying to increase our [parking] capacity, especially to our off-campus students,” May said.
Angie Wright, Vice President for Finance and Administration at ASU, explained, “Because we have grown so much, we have finally outlived our close-up parking. What we’re looking at doing is getting a few busses and picking up students in the morning at Foster Field and dropping them off at a central location on campus. Right now, we are looking at the CHP.”
As of now, during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on weekdays, two busses will rotate and transport students from Foster Field to the CHP. Wright stressed that kinks are still being worked out between the intervals of the buses.
She said, “These are tentative times. In the Spring, we will implement it and modify it if we see that we need to add hours or decrease hours, depending on usage.”
As stated, the buses are expected to take anywhere from five to ten minute intervals for picking students up. The buses are free for students, but they must present an ASU One Card ID to board and take the bus.
Wright also mentioned, “We’re really excited to try this new route on campus.”
In Nov. 2015, the Ram Tram was created. This bus is used to transport students, as well as faculty and staff all around San Angelo.
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The Ram Tram operates on the weekends, and is free to students, staff and faculty. The hours are as follows:
- Friday, 5:30 p.m. – Saturday, 1:30 a.m.
- Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – Sunday, 1:30 a.m.
Just like with the transportation busses coming in the Spring, students must present an ASU One Card ID to ride the Ram Tram.
Wright added, “We have a lot of international students who don’t have cars or driver’s licenses here, but just like every college student, they want to go to the mall and the movies; they need to go to the grocery store every once and a while. [The Ram Tram] was a way to get a lot of our students who are not from this area, and don’t have cars, a way to get around San Angelo.”
The ASU Ram Tram website states, “Consider using Ram Tram even if you own a car but want free, safe transportation to shopping, dining and entertainment venues throughout San Angelo.”
From Nov. 1, 2015, to Nov. 1, 2016, 17,411 riders chose the Ram Tram. That’s about 118 people a day.
The route has 13 stops throughout San Angelo. The stops include:
- Plaza Verde/Concho Hall
- Centennial Village
- S. Johnson and Dena
- S. Johnson and Knickerbocker
- Midnight Rodeo
- Sunset Mall
- Academy/Best Buy
- Walmart, 1852 Sherwood Way,
- Cinemark
- HEB
- Beauregard and Chadbourne
- Chadbourne and Concho Ave.
- Bryant and Ave. N
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