Officials reinstate Tiger Tram service for commuters
Students late for class or stuck in the rain may have an easier way to get to campus from parking lots with the reintroduction of Tiger Tram.
After meetings held last week between members of Student Government and Director of Parking, Traffic and Transportation Gary Graham, a decision was made to introduce a revised version of the service, which began operation Monday, said SG Director of Transportation and Safety Eric Ellis.
“[The Tiger Tram] has been around for two years now,” Ellis said. “But routes weren’t defined, so students didn’t know how to pick it up.”
Graham said the route has expanded to encompass a wider area, including the west end of the South Stadium lot and the east end of the X109 lot, which is the old south CEBA lot.
“It’ll make it a little easier for those who are in a hurry,” Graham said.
Graham said the drivers of the two Tiger Tram vans usually cover the designated route in about 12 minutes so a van passes at any certain stop every 6 minutes.
Sharwanda Joseph, one of the drivers for Tiger Tram, said the revision is a great change because more students will be abe to take advantage of the service.
The Tiger Tram can hold seven people seated and more standing with a holding bar. It also has room and a lift for those with disabilities.
Joseph, who has driven the vans for about a year, said most of the time students think Tiger Tram is only for people with disabilities, and they do not realize they have the option to use it.
SG Senator and economics junior Jay DuCote said the Senate has received many complaints from students who are not sure how to use Tiger Tram.
“If students hear about it enough and understand how it works, it is going to benefit them a lot,” DuCote said.
Ellis said they are working on putting a map of the new route on the SG Web site.
Also, according to Graham, Tiger Tram signs will be set up at each designated stop, alerting students the vans will be able to pick them up there.
Joseph said with the old system the drivers were able to drop students off wherever they were parked in the designated lots, but now they must stay on the route.
Joseph added they still are able to drop students off as close as possible to their vehicles on the route.
“The important thing is that we don’t necessarily feel it’s beneficial for students to wait at a stop for a van when they have time to walk,” Ellis said.
Students should take advantage of Tiger Tram when there is a time constraint, bad weather or they are not well enough to walk long distances, Ellis said.
Ellis said the new Tiger Tram will run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Benjamin Leger