The University of Texas at El Paso, abbreviated as UTEP, has an inner-campus shuttle system in place for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors, which is known as Miner Metro. It has been specifically designed to facilitate students in reaching their classes in time and reduce traffic on the campus. The shuttle service operates on designated routes on the campus at fixed timings and conveys students and staff throughout the university.
Let us look in detail at the benefits of this shuttle service, its timings, routes, costs, and much more.
When does it operate?
The inner-campus transport service operates throughout the fall, spring, and summer semesters. However, it does not operate in the summer, Maymester, Wintermester, university holidays, or during intersessions. It is available Monday through Friday. During the Fall and Spring semesters, its timings are 6.30 am to 9.30 am Monday through Thursday, and 6.30 am to 5.50 pm on Fridays.
During peak hours, from Monday to Thursday, i.e., from 7.30 am to 5.00 pm, the shuttles arrive at stops every 5-10 minutes. The same is true for peak hours of 7.30 am to 5.30 pm on Friday. During non-peak hours, however, there is an interval of 20 minutes between every shuttle that stops at a designated spot.
How much does it cost?
The best part of the shuttle service is that it is completely free of cost. It is a way for faculty, students, staff, and visitors to travel anywhere within the university’s campus with ease and zero expenditure. In addition to the several other benefits of the shuttle system, its zero cost makes it great for students on a budget.
What are its benefits?
UTEP started its shuttle system primarily to facilitate its students, faculty, and staff. Here are some of the ways in which it is beneficial:
-
Saves time
The shuttle transport system is a highly efficient system of traveling over the campus as it enables you to reach your class in a short time. If you have your own vehicle, you must be aware of how tedious it can get to be stuck in traffic and wait in long lines, especially at peak hours. With the university’s inner-campus transport facility, the rush is better managed, and the waiting time in traffic is considerably reduced.
If you are someone who prefers walking to class and the cafeteria, library, or gymnasium, then the shuttle system is still the right fit for you. If you are pressed for time or otherwise in a hurry, you can access it when required while still continue to walk on the campus at other times. Visit the link and see the best cafeteria tables you can buy online.
-
Reduces hassle
Who will deny that with the ease of owning a car also comes the trouble of finding parking spots, dealing with traffic, following road rules and regulations? If you want your university to be a place where you are free from all the stress that is part and parcel of driving vehicles, the shuttle system is the right solution for you.
-
Saves money
A significant benefit of availing the shuttle bus service is that it allows you to save money. Driving your own vehicle comes with fuel charges, which can be avoided by availing the bus service. Additionally, the service is not just light on the pocket; it is completely free.
-
Accessible buses
The shuttle transport service provides wheelchair-accessible buses to assist students with disabilities. These buses can be found during regular operating hours on any bus route in the university.
What routes does it cover?
The shuttles follow four routes throughout the campus. Let us look at them in detail.
-
Route 1: East – Blue
Operational on Monday through Friday from 6.33 am to 9.33 pm, and 6.33 am to 6.03 pm on Friday, route 1 starts from the Rim Road/Hawthorne Street bus stop and ends at the Miner Canyon bus stop. The last inbound trip leaves the Rim Road/Hawthorne Street bus stop at 5.48 pm on Friday and at 9.18 pm on the remaining four weekdays.
-
Route 2: Campus Loop – Green
This route starts from the Rim Road/Hawthorne Street bus stop and ends at the Memorial Gym bus stop. Its Monday to Thursday timings are 6.40 am to 6.10 pm, with the last inbound trip at 6.00 pm. On Fridays, it operates between 6.40 am and 5.50 pm, with the last bus leaving the Rim Road/Hawthorne Street bus stop at 5.40 pm.
-
Route 3: West – Orange
Starting from the Sun Bowl Garage bus stop, route 3 ends at the miner Canyon bus stop. On Mondays through Thursdays, its timings are 6.30 am to 9.30 pm, with the last bus of the day leaving the Sun Bowl Garage bus stop at 9.20 pm. On Fridays, the route operates from 6.30 am to 5.50 pm, with the shuttle for the last inbound trip leaving at 5.40 pm.
-
Route 4: College of Health Sciences/School of Nursing
This route starts from the Arizona Avenue bus stop and ends at the Rim Road/Hawthorne Street bus stop. Buses on this route run after half-hour intervals. The timings are from 7.00 am to 5.45 pm Monday through Friday. The bus for the last inbound trip leaves the Arizona Avenue bus stop at 5.37 pm.
How can the bus stops within the campus be accessed?
The students, faculty, and staff can travel via personal vehicles to the UTEP campus (where vehicles can be parked in designated parking spots) and then access the university shuttle system. They can also use Sun Metro, the city of El Paso’s public transit service, to reach the UTEP campus.
The Miner Metro App
For facilitating students and faculty who use the shuttle service, a free mobile app has been launched. It is called the Miner Metro Tracker, and it gives real-time information about the location of the shuttles and also provides maps and information about campus routes.
There is usually a wait of five to ten minutes between each shuttle that stops at a stop, and previously, students and staff had to wait at the bus-stop for the shuttle. They also had to memorize the bus schedules or sometimes guess the approximate timing of the buses. With the mobile app, campus goers now know exactly where the buses are and when they are supposed to reach a stop, and so are better able to manage their schedules and get to the stop just on time.
Conclusion
The Miner Metro is UTEP’s inner-campus shuttle service that helps the students, staff, and visitors travel across the campus in a hassle-free manner, saving time and money. With its wheelchair-accessible buses and a mobile app that provides real-time information about the location of the buses, the transport system is truly efficient. You can also travel all over the great state of Texas. Be sure to learn about the many geographic regions of Texas for great places to visit.
