(Aug. 22, 2017) — With Roadrunner Days in full swing, thousands of new UTSA students are exploring their new home. That includes three campuses and more than 700 acres.
How do you cover so much ground? Take some tips from the smartest ’Runners to get to and around UTSA smoothly.
1. Use public transportation.
Live near the Main Campus but don’t want to drive or walk to campus? Hop on The ’Runner, UTSA’s free shuttle service. It provides service to and from the outer parking lots and several nearby apartment complexes. The ‘Runner even has its own GPS app so you always know when it’s close by.
Live a little farther from campus but still want to save on gas? VIA Metropolitan Transit provides bus service all throughout San Antonio.
Routes 17, 28, 46, 79 and 93 and 94 will get you to the Downtown Campus. Routes 93, 94 and 603 will take you to the Main Campus. Students can purchase monthly VIA passes and map out a trip here.
What if you want to drive to class, though? There’s no wrong way to get to campus, but make sure you do these two things before you hit the road.
2. Get the right permit.
First, do your research so you buy the right parking permit to fit your needs. See this website for all of UTSA’s parking permit options.
3. Follow @UTSAParking on Twitter.
@UTSAParking is an official UTSA Twitter account that regularly updates you about parking lot capacities across campuses. It’ll help you find a spot quicker and get to class on time.
4. Don’t own a car? Don’t want to wait for the bus? Use Zipcar.
This car-sharing program lets ’Runners reserve a car for as little as an hour or as long as seven days to drive around campus or around the city. Travel in style for as little as $15/hr.
UTSA’s Zipcars are parked in Resident Lot 2, just outside the entrance to Roadrunner Café. Visit zipcar.com/utsa for more info.
5. Don’t worry about getting lost.
We all get a little lost sometimes but don’t sweat it too much. There’s always someone around to help you find your way to where you need to go.
Look for these iconic UTSA locations and work your way from there. On the Main Campus, ask for directions to the Sombrilla (SOM-BREE-UH)—it’s the big, open plaza smack-dab in the middle of campus where the iconic fountain sits. Main Campus is built out from there so find the Sombrilla and you can find where you need to go pretty easily.
If you’re at the Downtown Campus, just find Bill Miller Plaza—that’s the big green space in the center of campus where all the pathways intersect.
When all else fails, you can always download a campus map from the UTSA website or UTSA app.
