Five ways to get to and around UTSA

(Aug. 16, 2018) -- As the new school year approaches, thousands of new UTSA students will be exploring their new home. That includes three campuses and more than 700 acres.

How do you cover so much ground? Take some tips from the smartest ’Runners to get to and around UTSA smoothly.

1. Use public transportation.

Live near the Main Campus but don’t want to drive or walk to campus? Hop on The ’Runner, UTSA’s shuttle service. It provides service to nearby apartment complexes and outer parking lots on campus. It even has its own GPS app so you always know when it’s close by.

Live a little farther from campus but still want to save on gas? VIA Metropolitan Transit provides bus service all throughout San Antonio.

Routes 17, 28, 46, 79 and 93 and 94 will get you to the Downtown Campus. Routes 93, 94 and 603 will take you to the Main Campus. Students can purchase monthly VIA passes and map out a trip.

What if you want to drive to class, though?

There’s no wrong way to get to campus, but make sure you do these things before you hit the road.

2. Get the right permit.

First, do your research so you buy the right parking permit to fit your needs. 

3. Follow @UTSAParking on Twitter.

@UTSAParking is an official UTSA Twitter account that helps you find a place to park.

4. Don’t own a car? Don’t want to wait for the bus? Rent a Zipcar.

This car-sharing program lets ’Runners reserve a car for an hour or as long as seven days to drive around campus or around the city. Travel in style for as little as $15/hr.

UTSA’s Zipcars are parked in Resident Lot 1, just outside the entrance to Roadrunner Café. 

5. Don’t worry about getting lost. 

We all get a little lost sometimes, but don’t sweat it too much. There’s always someone around to help you find your way to where you need to go.

Look for these iconic UTSA locations and work your way from there. On the Main Campus, ask for directions to the Sombrilla (SOM-BREE-UH)—it’s the big, open plaza smack-dab in the middle of campus where the iconic fountain sits. Main Campus is built out from there so if you find the Sombrilla, you can find where you need to go pretty easily.

If you’re at the Downtown Campus, just find Bill Miller Plaza—that’s the big green space at the center of campus where all the pathways intersect.

When all else fails, you can always download a Main Campus, Downtown Campus or parking map from the UTSA website or UTSA app.

— Lauren Beaver

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Find more UTSA back to school information on the Welcome, Roadrunners page.

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