Good neighbors

Partnerships create free rides for UTA, TCC students

University of Texas at Arlington and Tarrant County College students will be able to use the Via rideshare public transportation service for free through two new partnerships.

Already, UT Arlington students are able to catch a ride around campus and other select destinations for free as part of a new partnership between Via rideshare and the university. With fewer students on campus due to coronavirus concerns, UTA has temporarily suspended its own shuttle service for the summer. Instead, UTA is paying the City of Arlington’s Via rideshare service to transport students around campus and to other area destinations, such as nearby grocery stores, for $3 a trip. This partnership is expected to run until the fall semester begins in August. UTA is already a popular pick up and drop of location for Via, which has operated in Arlington since December 2017.

Starting this fall, Tarrant County College students will also be able to ride Via for free as part of a two-year pilot program funded by a $350,000 federal grant through the North Central Texas Council of Governments. This program, set to begin in August, will allow any Tarrant County College student to ride Via to and from anywhere within the rideshare service area.

Ready to try Via today? Book a trip on a rideshare vehicle using the free Via app or call 817-784-7382. Enter your pick-up and drop-of locations, and a vehicle will pick you up within a block or two of where you are. The service is ofered between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday.

For more: arlingtontx.gov/via.

Mansfeld offers virtual gardening classes

While the City of Mansfeld’s in-person water conservation and SmartScape classes are on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, area residents are urged to check out the free virtual classes ofered by Water University at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center-Dallas. You’ll fnd topics such as family friendly gardening, selecting the perfect turf, rainwater harvesting and more. Grow your gardening skills using the innovative concepts and the unmatched expertise of the Texas A&M University System. Select from upcoming virtual classes, view archived classes, research plants using their online database and read their DIY landscape guides. Learn how to make smart plant choices in the free TRWD three-part virtual class series “Tough Plants for North Texas Landscapes” led by master gardener Toni Morehead.

For more: wateruniversity.tamu.edu.

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