LSU becomes as long as the Great Wall when you have to make it from Cox to Williams in 10 minutes. If you don’t have a car but you need groceries, you’re at the mercy of your friend or roommate who does have one. Walking from the UREC to WCA at 9 p.m. in the pouring rain? They rent out sleeping bags.
Reliable transportation is an essential part of college but can be a hassle if you don’t know your way around or don’t have a vehicle. Luckily, there are many resources available around campus that are not only easy and budget-friendly but also sustainable alternatives.
Tiger Trails
The buses are a free and convenient service offered by the University for students, faculty, staff and visitors that helps reduce traffic and vehicle congestion. With many stops on and around campus near student housing complexes and traveling through the Garden District and Downtown, the buses are very easy and accessible. Unlike other buses, you just hop on at the stop without having to rummage for change.
There are 12 routes currently in service that run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and a Sunday shuttle from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. during the Fall and Spring semesters. Routes vary for intersession, Summer and Winter semesters. Each route runs with varying frequency. The buses can be tracked in-real-time on the Tiger Trails website or using the TransLoc app. Each bus is equipped with a bike rack and outlets.
Even more convenient, night buses lovingly referred to as “drunk buses” run from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday to Wednesday and from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday to Saturday. The night bus routes travel through campus to Tigerland or Downtown depending on the route. An additional night bus travels from Tigerland to Ben Hur Rd. Thursday through Saturday from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
You can spare yourself the struggle of finding a parking spot and having to walk to the quad while also supporting campus sustainability. As of 2016, 25 of the buses feature an exhaust reduction system that helps lower greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation on campus.
Campus Transit
If you’ve ever seen the white mini buses driving around campus at night, that’s Campus Transit shuttling students safely from one place on campus to another.
Campus Transit is an on-demand service for students and faculty and staff available 7 days a week from 5 p.m. to midnight. You can request a ride to and from anywhere on campus by calling 225-578-5555 or through the TransLoc Rider app.
To request a ride utilizing TransLoc Rider, simply download the app and create an account using your LSU email address. When you’re viewing the LSU TransLoc Rider service, a blue icon on the bottom left corner indicates service is available. Click on “request a ride,” select your pick up and drop off location and the number of passengers and a bus will be dispatched to pick you up and drop you off.
Gotcha Bikes
Launching this Fall, Gotcha Bikes is a bike-sharing paid service that enables subscribers to rent GPS-enabled e-bikes from hubs around campus using the Gotcha app.
The app requires a subscription valued at $6.99 for students and $9.99 monthly or $59.99 for students and $79.99 annually. The first 500 students to sign up for the annual student mo-pass will receive $30 off their subscription. There is a pay-as-you-go option that charges a rider $2 to unlock a bike and 10 cents per minute of usage.
Once you’re subscribed, you can find rentals available through the app. The bikes live in mobility hubs located on campus at Broussard Hall, East Laville Hall, Kirby Smith Hall, Lod Cook Alumni Center, LSU Faculty Club, Nicholson Gateway, Patrick F. Taylor Hall, the Student Union and the UREC.
To ride, scan the barcode located behind the bike’s seat and you’re good to go. Each bike is equipped with a basket for storing items. Ride the bike for as long as needed. Once finished, return the bike to any Gotcha mobility hub and end the ride on the app.
Zipcar
This car-sharing app is a convenient option for running errands away from campus outside of bus routes.
Currently, Zipcar offers LSU students a discounted membership of $35 for the first year. This membership includes discounted hourly rates and 180 miles included, then $0.45 cents per mile driven, a gas card to refill the eco-friendly cars and insurance. Students need to be 18 years or older and have a valid driver’s license to apply for membership.
Once a driver is verified, they receive their Zipcard in the mail, download the app and are ready to go. Drivers use the app or the website to book a car. In addition, they can lock and unlock a car through the app as well as report any issues. Zipcars are located in front of East Laville Hall, Aster Street East Parking Lot and Alight Apartments Baton Rouge.
Simply book a car through the app, go to the pick up location at the designated pick up time, unlock it with your Zipcard or phone, report any issues if there are any, find the keys inside the car and go. Once it’s time to return the car, simply park in the mark Zipcar parking spot at the pick up location, leave the keys inside the car and lock it with your Zipcard or phone.
And now you’re ready to move around campus and Baton Rouge more easily and sustainably.
A Gotcha Bike sign displays a map of campus on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, at East Laville Hall.
