Getting Around

While some students arrive at UCF in their cars and prepare to circle the parking lots, searching for that one available spot, some students are left to seek other means of transportation. These options include walking, biking, skateboarding, or using bus transportation to get to and from campus.

Some students rely on the LYNX bus system as a form of transportation. LYNX provides service to Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, and has a weekday average passenger count of 84,061, according to the LYNX website.

Chad Aylesworth, a history senior, relies on the LYNX bus to get him to and from the Woodlands, an apartment complex located near the east campus of Valencia Community College. He takes two buses, link 15 and link 30, in order to arrive at his destination. Aylesworth estimates that his travel time is one hour, and he says that he has not experienced any problems with the service.

"I've never been late for class or anything," Aylesworth said. "It's generally about the right schedule".

LYNX has a variety of pricing plans, ranging from a standard one-way fare of $2 to a standard 30-day pass that is $50. Transfers from one bus to another are free as long as your trip does not extend beyond 90 minutes, according to the LYNX website.

Ben Bateman, a junior chemistry major at UCF, tried the LYNX bus on Tuesday for the first time. Bateman lives in downtown Orlando and owns his own vehicle.

Bateman is using the service to avoid the drive from the downtown area to the main campus. Bateman's goals in not using a car are to save time and money.

"I'm taking one class to finish my degree," Bateman said. "I don't want to pay for a parking pass and then fight the traffic for all the time that is required to park here," Bateman says that he might not continue using the service, due to the fact the constraints on his time leave him with very little time to sleep. Because Bateman works nights and does not return home until 2 a.m., he can only sleep until 6:30 a.m., which is when he must be awake in order to catch his 7 a.m. bus to UCF.

Bateman is considering biking as an alternative, noting that it recently took him less than an hour to ride from downtown Orlando to UCF on his mountain bike. Bateman notes that using his bike may help him cut down on travel time and help him get some well-needed time with his pillow.

"If I can cut down my travel time to less than an hour, I can get a little more sleep," Bateman said.

Using a bike at UCF is a viable option that many students partake in. Bike racks are available throughout the main campus to accommodate over 6,500 bicycles, according to the UCF Parking and Transportation Services website.

According to UCF's Environmental Management Program's website, a good bicycle costs 2 to 3 percent as much as a car, requires minimal maintenance, no insurance or fuel, and can be parked for free or nearly free. A well maintained bicycle might also not depreciate in value.

Chris Chel, a post-baccalaureate student taking undergraduate courses toward a master's degree in finance, rides a bicycle to school to avoid having to search the garages on campus for parking. Chel lives at Arden Villas, an apartment complex located at 3303 Arden Villas Blvd., just down the street from UCF. Chel estimates that it takes him 15 minutes to go uphill from Arden Villas to UCF, and five minutes to return home.

Chel notes that his bicycle requires little maintenance and allows him to get around campus quickly. Chel also feels that UCF could do more to cater to the biking community.

"The campus, in my opinion, is somewhat unfriendly to bikes," Chel said. "It's more of a car campus, in my opinion."

The use of rollerblades or skateboards is another way to get around campus.

People using them have to ride on sidewalks and crosswalks and  must yield the right of way to bicyclists, pedestrians, or other motorists. The use of skateboards or rollerblades is not allowed in any other areas on campus, including buildings, garages, parking lots, or construction areas, according to UCF's Parking and Transportation Services website.

Max Pollack, a psychology senior at UCF, uses a longboard to transport himself around campus. A longboard is highly similar to a skateboard, with the exception of its longer and wider base, which allows it to travel faster than normal skateboards.

Pollack notes that he does not find UCF's rules regarding skateboards to be restrictive.

He finds that his skateboard allows him to get to class much faster than he could by walking.

"If I park in Garage B, and I need to go all the way to the psychology building, it takes me a good 10 to 12 minutes," Pollack said. "If I get my skateboard, I'm there in 3 minutes."

In our current economic environment, many students continue to examine their methods of transportation and how they might save money by doing so. One possible alternative may be Zimride, a new carpooling service based out of California which UCF became a part of as of June 29. Zimride gives UCF students the opportunity to find rides with other students in the area through an online network and then carpool with them.

Whichever method students choose to use, transportation is an issue that remains central to life at UCF.