University of Texas at Austin

International Office

UT Family and Community Programs

Transportation

These buses operate primarily for students, faculty and staff with a valid UT ID. However dependents may also ride the shuttle for free, as the drivers usually do not ask to see an ID. These buses are identifiable by a longhorn symbol on front and the routes are lettered as RR (for Red River), WC (for West Campus), CR (for Cameron Road) etc. The schedule and route information is available at many places such as the International Office, the Texas Union and the Main Building (The Tower) information desk.

The UT-Austin Shuttle Bus service levels adjust, depending on service levels required by the UT-Austin community. For example, on days that classes are in session, the full complement of shuttles are running, with an emphasis on service during the morning hours when most students are trying to get to class.


The various service levels are:

Full Service
Buses depart every 5-10 minutes on all routes from approximately 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and approximately every 35 minutes from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Sunday Service
Buses depart approximately every 20 to 70 minutes from 2:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.

Registration Service (during registration period for students):
Buses depart approximately every 35 minutes on all routes from 6:45 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Finals & Summer Service
Buses depart approximately every 8-12 minutes on all routes from 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and approximately every 35 minutes from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

No School Service
Only the Forty Acres, Disch Falk, and PRC buses run on a reduced schedule.

No Service
No UT Shuttle Service.

For more information go to:
http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/shuttle/ or call (512) 474 1200

Capital Metro buses operate to serve various areas in and around Austin. UT students and staff can ride free by showing a valid UT ID, however their dependents need to pay .50 per ride or .25 with a bus pass. These bus pass booklets can be bought at the Univ. Coop, HEB etc. Most routes are numbered as #5, #1, #7.

Capital Metro also operates the Blue, Red, Gold, Silver and Orange "Dillo", which are historic representations of trolley cars providing circulator service to downtown Austin, the Capitol Complex, University of Texas campus and free Park and Ride lots. The ride on the "Dillo" is free.

Tips:

Texas Express

Texas Express provides a chartered bus from UT Austin to Dallas ($20 each way) and Houston ($15 each way). It is available to all UT students, faculty, and staff.

• Outbound
  
  Departure : Jester Center, Friday 4:00 p.m.
  Arrival: Houston Metro Northwest Station Friday 7:00 p.m. and continues to
  Arrival: Houston Downtown Greyhound Terminal 7:15 p.m.
  
  Arrival: Dallas DART Mockingbird Station Friday 7:45 p.m. and continues to
  Arrival: Dallas (Richardson) Greyhound Terminal 8:15 p.m.
  
  
• Inbound
  
  Departure: Dallas DART Mockingbird Station Sunday 3:15 p.m.
  
  Departure: Houston Metro Northwest Station Sunday 3:45 p.m.
  Arrival: Jester Center Sunday 7:00 p.m.
  
  
• Tickets
  Tickets are available at the Jester Parking Garage (24/7), or at the PTS Office from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. until one hour before departure time on Friday. At that time, purchases may be made at Jester Center (21st and Speedway).
  
  
• Drop-off Locations

E-Bus

The Eating and Entertainment Bus (E-Bus) is a new service provided by Capital Metro in conjunction with PTS and the Austin Police Department.
The E-Bus is a late night service that picks up passengers from The University of Texas at Austin, west campus, and Riverside areas and provides a safe alternative to driving to and from Austin's entertainment district during weekend evenings (Thursday - Saturday from 8:30 p.m. – 3:30 a.m.).
UT students, faculty, and staff may ride the E-Bus at no charge by presenting a UT ID upon entering the bus. Without a UT ID, the charge is 50 cents.
http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/ebus/

Taxicabs

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Taxis cannot usually be hailed on the street, so one needs to call for pick-up.

Some of the taxi services in Austin are:

Greyhound Lines is the largest provider of intercity bus transportation, serving more than 2,600 destinations with 18,000 daily departures across the country.

Greyhound provides Student Advantage, a saving plan that offers a 15% discount on Greyhound walk-up fares to thousands of destinations nationwide. ("Walkup" means you can go to the bus station without making reservations in advance.)

Other Student Discounts:

For more information go to: http://www.greyhound.com
 
 

Bicycles operated or parked on the UT campus should be registered with the Parking and Transportation Services office, http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/ebus/ Registration can be done online.

Bicylces should be parked only in the bike racks which are available throughout campus and cannot be placed, used, parked or otherwise left within any University building at any time. Ensure that your bicycles are locked at all times to prevent them from being stolen.

Information on parking, registration, bike sharing and the "Rules of the Road" can all be found on the Parking and Transportation Services web site above.

Bicycle Safety

Texas Bicycle Laws

For further information on bicycle safety, helmet and traffic rules contact:
College Traffic Safety Program at (512) 475-8252

Bicycle Driving & Parking Offenses

Procedure for University Citations
University citations are issued for (bicycle) offenses as described above. The administrative enforcement charges are as shown. If the charge is not paid within twelve (12) calendar days after issuance of the citation, a $5.00 late charge will be assessed. If payment is not received or postmarked on or before the date shown on the billing notice, an additional late charge of $5.00 will be assessed.

Buying a Bike

Bicycles can be bought at any of the following places:

Driver’s License

To drive a car, one must have a valid Texas driver’s license which can be obtained from the Texas State Department of Public Safety (DPS) at any of the locations mentioned below:

The DPS offices are open Monday though Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM

Access to a car, knowledge of Texas driving regulations, as well as testable driving skills are basic requirements for a driver’s license. This process can be initiated with either a social security number (SSN) or a letter of denial, if you are not eligible for a Social Security card (e.g. F2, H4 visa holders).

To obtain a license you must:

For more information on obtaining a license go to:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/

 
Driving Schools and Defensive Driving Course Locations

UT Police periodically holds a Defensive Driving School from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. The course is held at UTPD training room. The cost for the course is $25.00 (cash or checks), payable on class date. If you are interested in attending, please contact UTPD at 471-4441. If you are taking the course for ticket dismissal, please bring your ticket to class.

You also need to bring your driver's license to class. Class starts promptly at 9:00AM. You will not be allowed into the classroom after 9:00AM. Paid parking is available at UT parking garage #5 ($7.00). No free parking is available. The class is open to UT and non-UT personnel.

For other Austin locations offering state-approved defensive driving courses go to:

Car Purchase

One can buy cars from either car dealers or students.

Some of the web sites that can be helpful are:

* Newspapers such as The Daily Texan, Austin American-Statesman, Austin-Chronicle, etc.
* Bulletin Boards at the Texas Union and the International Office.
 
Questions to ask when calling on an ad in the newspaper, which could have been placed by either a car dealer or a private owner:

How many miles has the car been driven?

Do you have a service maintenance record?

How many owners has the car had?

Has car ever been in an accident?

Is there any warranty left on the car?

Can I buy a warranty? (Only when buying from a dealer)

Has the car been garaged or stored outside?

Why are you selling it? (Only when buying from a private owner)

How old are the tires?

How negotiable is the price?

Common abbreviations and terms in car ads:

Be prepared for some of the "hidden costs" before purchasing a car. These could be:

It is also recommended to get the car inspected from the following before buying. Use a car mechanic you know and trust before buying a used car. Here is a web site that gives guidance on buying cars: www.autoappraisal.com.

Car Insurance
This iis required by law. Regardless of what kind of car you buy or lease and how you pay for it, you will need at least a minimum amount of insurance. Insurance helps you pay for damage to your car, others cars, yourself or other people in the event of an accident (such as a collision weather damage or theft).

Kinds of Insurance
Insurance policies may offer several different types of coverage (refer to The University of Texas at Austin Legal Services for Students Handbook). Although there are eight different types of coverage available in Texas, insurance
companies often sell all eight types together as one package, allowing you to delete some types of coverage at your discretion but not others. Liability-only insurance can, however, usually be purchased. The buyer must arrange liability insurance, in compliance with Texas regulations, to begin at the time of transfer of ownership. (Evidence of liability insurance in the seller's name is satisfactory for vehicle registration; however, the buyer may not drive the car after the sale until it insured in his or her own name.) Ask your insurance company about specific limitations on its policies.

How to Buy Insurance
If you are buying a fairly old car, it is probably better to purchase only liability insurance. You may not even be able to get a package insurance policy (including comprehensive collision etc.) on an old used car since the value of the car is low. But if you buy a newer car that you anticipate will last for quite a while, you should probably get a package policy if you can afford it. Usually insurance policies are 6 months long. You can pay in a lump sum or in
several installments. Installments might have a small financing fee.

Certain features about yourself or your car can cause your insurance rates to be higher or lower:

Remember: it is important to buy car insurance. Some of the insurance companies are:

Transfer of Title
The seller initiates the transfer of ownership of the vehicle by signing the back of the Title, with the Buyer indicated as the next owner of the car, and furnishing an application for Texas Certification of Title (Form 130-U available
at car or motorcycle dealerships credit unions or the county tax assesso'rs office) which must be signed by both the Seller and the Buyer
 
State Registration
The buyer goes to the County Tax Assessors Office (for Travis County, at 1010 Lavaca; phone: 473-9473) with:

State Safety Inspection

This is required annually from the date on the State Safety Inspection sticker attached to the inside front window of the car. Take a copy of the current liability insurance and the State Safety Inspection fee to any auto inspection
garage. These can be identified by a sign in the shape of Texas near the doorway to the garage. Look for "full
 
Financing a car purchase
If you do not have enough money to buy a car, you may want to borrow money
FINANCE to make a purchase or you may LEASE a car.
If you decide to finance your purchase (buy your car on credit allowing you to spend more on the car than you currently have available) you can do so in one of two ways:

* Through a car dealer

Be wary of this type of financing. Read the fine print in any advertisements. Many advertisements only state the full price of the car in tiny print at the bottom. When dealers advertise low interest rates and/or low monthly payments for a short amount of time (24 months or less) they are only advertising a portion of the total cost of the car.

* Through a bank.

Car loans can be obtained from: University Federal Credit Union (UFCR), which has a car loan program mostly for international students.
For more information go to:
www.ufcu.org or UFCR, Dobie Mall, 2021 Guadalupe, (512) 467-8080

Another way to have a car is to lease it. A lease is a long-term rental agreement for a specified number of months (more than one). You pay a certain amount of money each month to the company. At the end of the lease agreement you return the car to the company.
 
Price/Quality opinions
Information on fair price and quality of new and old cars can be found at:

 
Parking
It might not be a good idea to drive to school because of the parking hassles. Permits are required to park cars on campus. The different categories are:

For further information, contact:
Office of Parking and Traffic Administration at (512) 471-4761, http://www.utexas.edu/parking/
 
Repairs
The website of ASE, The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, was founded in 1972 as an independent non-profit organization with a single mission: To improve the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification automotive technicians.

National Institute for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE
13505 Dulles Technology Drive Suite 2
Herndon Virginia 20171-3421
Toll-Free Information Line: 1-877-ASE-TECH
For more information go to : http://www.asecert.org/
 

Public & Traffic Administration offers a carpooling program to the UT community, as part of the alternative transportation program, UT Share.

This program provides incentives to faculty, staff, and students who share the commute to and from the UT campuses. By finding fellow employees to share the trip everyone can benefit. The participants save money, prolong vehicular life, and reduce gasoline purchases. Carpooling can also provide an opportunity for rest and relaxation. Additionally, everyone on campus benefits from reduced pollutants released into the atmosphere and the reduced number of vehicles on the highways and roads.

A registered carpool consists of two or more University faculty, staff, and/or students who travel in the same vehicle to the UT campus or to the Pickle Research campus. One of the participants must be a University of Texas at Austin faculty, staff or student who has a current and valid UT parking permit
.
A University of Texas at Austin Registered Carpool may be a shared driving carpool (the riders alternate driving days and/or vehicles used), or a shared cost carpool (one person drives all the time and is reimbursed by the riders to cover the operating costs and trip expenses). Specific arrangements are made among members of the carpool and will be regulated by UT Share, the alternative transportation office at PTS.

The primary benefit of carpooling is that it removes cars from the Austin and the University campus area. This will help curb pollution, and reduce the level of traffic congestion.

The permit issued to the carpool will be the class of permit for which the holder is eligible. Carpool permits are available for "A," "C," "F," "R," "S," "O," and "D" permit holders. Carpools park in the lot which they are currently assigned or eligible.

For more information visit:
http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/carpool/