77 Campus Master Plan Update 77 A/ APPENDIX Transit and Shared Rides 1. Continue to support El Metro’s Student Bus Pass Program. Improving outreach and marketing to TAMIU affiliates will help grow transit ridership, reduce parking demand, and reduce individual transportation cost burdens. TAMIU should evaluate additional transit pass subsidies. A subsidy of 50-80% of the cost of transit passes for TAMIU affiliates would incentivize transit use and further improve transportation equity for those who do not have access to car. 2. Improve campus transit facilities. Stops, wayfinding, and passenger amenities can be added to enhance the rider experience and make transit a welcoming and attractive option. All transit stops should include basic amenities such as shelter, benches, lighting, maps and passenger information, and clear wayfinding. As the campus grows, create additional stops prioritizing key nodes of campus activity such as new student housing and the proposed athletics complex and events center. 3. Partner with El Metro to provide additional transit service as the campus grows. a. Partner with El Metro Transit to conduct a rider benchmark survey and identify any service gaps. The survey can also be used to gauge if a student/employee transit pass would be well received. b. Adding a direct transit connection to North Laredo, where many affiliates live, would provide a valuable alternative and alleviate the burden of car-based commutes. 4. Explore a TAMIU rideshare matching program. Developing a carpool matching or vanpool platform to facilitate shared rides among affiliates can help reduce traffic volumes, make commutes more accessible, and reduce travel costs. Shared rides can be especially valuable for those travelling to and from lower density neighborhoods, where public transit is not a convenient option. Numerous platforms exist, such as RideAmigos, Liftango, or Zimride, that allow for carpool matching in a closed system so that TAMIU affiliates can identify a ride and/or passengers specific to campus and their travel schedule. Ridehail companies, such as Lyft or Uber, also allow universities to provide subsidies through voucher codes for shared affiliate rides. 5. Establish an Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program. A subsidized emergency ride home can help affiliates pay for a taxi/ridehail service if they do not drive alone to campus and need to leave suddenly or leave campus during late hours. Ridehail companies, such as Lyft or Uber, allow universities to provide subsidies through voucher codes or dedicated programs for affiliate ERH rides. Left: Example transit wayfinding signage. Right: Bus siding and shelters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The University of Southern California partners with Lyft to provide free evening and late-night rides for students, faculty, and staff within a designated radius of the campus. Lyft operates these using pass programs that can be modified to fit different parameters, limitations, and capacities.
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