10A
SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2007
CRIMSON RIDE FACTS ■ 15 buses run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and about eight operate till 2:30 a.m. ■ Bus: 2007 Nova LFS made in Montreal, Canada. ■ Length: 40 feet. ■ Capacity: 33-37 seats, with up to 90 standing; wheelchair accessible. ■ Fuel: Ultra-low sulfur diesel. ■ Engine: Cummins 250 horsepower.
■ Cost: Free to everyone, including visitors, but students pay a $50 to $75 fee per semester with tuition. ■ Times: There is no set arrival time for each stop, but the wait is expected to be about eight minutes in the interior of campus and up to 20 minutes on the perimeter.
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Now only a construction entrance to the Ridgecrest dorms, this road will eventually extend Marr’s Spring Road to Jack Warner Parkway to relieve congestion on Hackberry Lane.
McCorvey Dr.
7tj Ave.
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The Campus Drive parking deck is the Grand Central Station of Crimson Ride. All four routes enter a covered waiting area with vending machines. The office for transit system managers is also inside.
Shelby Hall
r.
e. 9th Av
Wallace Wade Blvd.
t.
Sorority Row
Bryant Dr.
4th St.
Soccer Field Lot
Farrah
Moody Music Bldg.
BryantDenny Stadium
Rec. Center
A $4.5 million parking lot built this summer has 800 spots for commuter students and employees. The Blue Line services it.
2nd Ave.
12th Ave.
4th S
Green Gree en routte rou rout
STAFF GRAPHIC | ANTHONY BRATINA STAFF PHOTOS | MICHAEL E. PALMER
Student Health Center
Unive rsity Blvd.
Road changes to help access a new parking log and keep buses off University Boulevard are new this fall. Second Avenue is extended across University Boulevard to connect to an extended Fourth Street, which now runs through the new parking lot to connect to Fifth Avenue. Bryce Hospital Drive will no longer connect to University Boulevard.
Southeast commuter zone
SewellThomas Stadium
N Commuter student parking
Bus routes traveling counterclockwise
Faculty and staff parking
Bus routes traveling clockwise
Resident parking
Bus stops
Reserved parking
Reserved Car
Perimeter Parking
Buses follow library hours and will run on weekends as well. Especially during football home games. Pick ups will be on the right hand side of the road.
Quarter mile
Hackberry Lane now curves around Shelby Hall on the east, instead of running straight from Jack Warner Parkway to the interior of campus. New buildings will go on top of the old road, and the rerouting brings it close to the transit hub.
20,813
$10 per car
Total permits sold Faculty permits sold Parking spaces
21,547
22,334
23,451
24,623*
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P er
Depart area using U.S. Hwy. 82
Depart area using Interstate 359 or state Hwy. 69
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17,222
18,073
Campus
4,223
4,152
Stadium
18,153
4,413
’04-’05
’05-’06
School year
’06-’07
Unive
4,690*
12th St.
5,000
’03-’04
Dr.
’07-’08
*Numbers are based on the previous year’s percentage of increase
rsity B lvd.
Bryant Dr.
69
10,000
3,846
18,143
Reserved RV
82
Quad
16,176
Open RV
[departing]
20,000
15,000
Free open car
Gameday traffic plans
Campus parking 25,000
Reserved Handicap
15th St.
359 1 mile
Roads Roads closed closed just before game time
Hackberry Ln.
Time limit
Central station
Coleman Coleseum
82
DCH H Regional Regi Regio Medical Center ente nte
Law Center
Bus routes
11 Bryant Dr.
Tutwiler
Parking
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Jefferson Ave.
Lloyd
Walk of Champions
Crr m o Crimson C rroute ro ou o ute e
Bryce Hospital Dr.
Devoie Dr.
6th Ave.
Denny Chimes
Dr.
Women’s Softball Field
Northeast commuter zone
Quad
Graves
Rose Admin.
p us C am
Under construction
Parking Deck
Blvd.
his fall marks the start of Crimson Ride, the University of Alabama’s transit system designed to keep cars away from the center of campus and make it friendlier to pedestrians and bikes. There is no charge to ride the bus, though students pay an annual fee with tuition and employees pay an annual parking fee. Student Action Cards are not needed. All students and employees pay for tags for certain parking lots. Visitors should get a pass for $3 per day at the Student Services Building. All spots are open to visitors except those in reserved lots. The buses run when the library is open, which for most of the semester is 7 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. There will be about half the number of buses on weekends and after 7 p.m., when parking restrictions are relaxed. Posted wait times are about seven minutes in the core of campus, and up to 20 minutes on the perimeter routes.
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Ferguson Student Center
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Gorgas Library
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First Transit, hired to operate the bus system, brought 17 buses. Fifteen will travel the four routes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with two in reserve. Seven to eight buses will be in service from 7 p.m. until the library closes, which is 2:30 a.m. most of the semester. There are 41 stops, though that could change as officials let riders feel out which stops are convenient. The average wait at each stop is eight minutes in the interior of campus and no more than 20 minutes on the perimeter. During the test run in the past nine days, waits on the perimeter were no longer than 20 minutes, but the searing heat didn’t help time fly. Also, buses often clumped together. A rider could wait nearly 15 minutes on the perimeter, but then two or three buses would come within five minutes. It’s a problem with all mass transit, but it’s one that can be worked out, said James Rismiller, general manager of the system for First Transit. He comes from Ohio State University, where the bus system was a well-oiled machine. UA will be, too, he said. “It’s been frustrating because I’m used to a more efficient system, but this is just the first week,” he said. The backup has come from construction, but also at the campus’ Grand Central Station, the Campus Drive Parking Deck. All buses go through there, and if dropping off and picking up passengers takes too long, a line of buses forms. The 40 bus drivers come from nearby and have previous busdriving experience, just not with the buses UA picked, Rismiller said. The buses are big, similar to public buses in large cities with front and rear entrances. Some bus drivers are still getting used to turning corners. One problem they have encountered is cars too often stopping beyond the white line at intersections, making it difficult for the buses to manage the turn. The buses were chosen because they were shown to maneuver well around campus, said Ronnie Robertson, director of transportation services. “We wanted a bus to be able to access the roadway, if we took out the parking on most of the roadways,” he said. The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority, on the other hand, chose trolley-like buses in 1998 because a study showed that smaller buses worked well for the city and the demand on the transit system, said manager Jimmie Cain. UA picked the 40-foot buses because of expected demand. It seats 37 with no wheelchairs on board and up to 90 people standing. Another bonus: The buses burn ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel. “We got the best bus for environmental-friendly purposes,” Robertson said.
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West commuter zone
C ONTINUED F ROM P AGE 1A
Riverside ersi ersid R de Residential Co m Community
Visitor Parking Deck $3 fee
With the exception of University Boulevard, the roads around the Quad are now bus lanes, meaning only bikes, emergency vehicles and vendors are allowed. Expect a hefty fine if caught driving here.
BUSES
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Shelby Ln.
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11A
THE TUSCALOOSA NEWS
Campus Drive no longer connects the east and west sides of campus. A series of science and engineering buildings adjoining Shelby Hall will sit on top of the closed portion of Campus Drive. The closure also forces drivers away from central campus.
Ridgecrest Residential Community is only half-completed. Two buildings open this fall above Lake Palmer, but more along with a parking deck are being constructed now.
■ Staff: 40 drivers, three supervisors and three mechanics hired locally.
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Coliseum
Depart area using U.S. Hwy. 11