Shelby Morris
One of the most upsetting aspects about UAB is trying to find parking. Each day, commuter students and residential students have problems trying to find parking on and near campus. The fact of the matter is there are more students than there are spots. Taking a car off campus in the middle of the day is undesirable and impracticable. UAB has helped rectify this problem by providing the UAB Blazer Express Transit System. This is a series of buses that provide transportation throughout the campus. Students, faculty, and approved visitors are among the riders of this system. All that is needed to access this system is a UAB ID badge.
All the buses can seat 35 riders and come equipped with railings on the top for other riders to stand and hold on to. These buses are handicapped accessible with wheel chair lifts. There are 6 different routes that go different directions and to different places. Although, some stops do overlap.
Green Route: 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
The green route is most useful for an English major. It has a stop at the Chemistry building, which is only a few steps away from Sterne Library and the Education Building. It deposits at Lot 15D as well, which is not too far from the Humanities Building and Snoozys. It also will drop off and pick up at the Barnes and Noble bookstore, the perfect place to get much needed school supplies.
Blue Route: 5:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
The blue route stops near many parking lots to pick up employees and students and deposit them on campus and near the hospitals. It goes to Lister Hill Library and many other medical buildings.
Silver Route: 2:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
The silver route visits some of the same lots as the blue route, but also stops near different hospitals around campus. This route is beneficial for most employees.
Gold Route: 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
The gold route travels near Denman Hall and goes to Five Points and other parking lots near that side of campus. This route is very useful if a student wants to go to Starbucks off campus, but does not want to hunt for parking at Five Points.
Purple Route: 7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
The purple route is a night route and takes over many of the green route stops. It goes by most of the dorms and off campus. However, due to a low amount of passengers on this bus, the purple route will be discontinued after the 2016 Spring Semester Break. This route will be split up between the orange and silver route. See more information about route changes here.
Orange Route: 7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
The orange route is the other night route and this stops at some dorms, Five Points, and near the Hulsey Center, which is right across from Sterne Library and right next to the Humanities building. This route is useful to get around campus to the library and other neighboring buildings at night without being afraid for your own safety.
A detailed map showing the routes can be found here. Virtually a student could travel to anywhere on and off campus just by using the Blazer Express system. This new bus system is helping UAB students and faculty get around without wasting gas and destroying the environment. It also takes the pressure of finding parking off the student and faculty member. Hopefully, more students will start using this bus system and UAB will extend bus hours to work weekends and to travel further distances if there is enough student participation.
For a detailed route schedule, click here. (Note: This schedule does not take into consideration the discontinuation of the purple route.)
