Getting to class can be a challenge for students, especially when they are in a hurry.

Fortunately, Kansas University students have many transportation options.

KU on Wheels, a bus service, provides transportation to the Lawrence campus. The program is a student-run and student-funded program.

The program provides transportation for about 25 percent of on-campus students, and about 10,000 people use the system every day. The cost for a year-long KU on Wheels bus pass is $130 and $70 for a semester-long pass. A one-way bus ride costs $1.

“The buses run every day school is in session,” said Blake Huff, coordinator for KU on Wheels. “They go out at 7 a.m., and most routes end around 5:30 to 6 p.m.”

Route maps for KU on Wheels can be found at the Student Union Activities box office, the KU on Wheels office or any KU on Wheels bus. The buses are scheduled to get to each stop every 30 minutes.

“(KU on Wheels) is convenient because I don’t have to deal with finding a place to park or paying for gas,” said Sarah Smiley, a geography graduate student at KU. “It is nice for me because I don’t like to drive, and it would be a long walk in the winter.”

The Lawrence Transit System also offers transportation to campus. Buses arrive at stops about every 1 hour, 20 minutes from about 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The transit system, known as the T, provides mainly noncampus transportation.

Single one-way fare for the T is 50 cents and $17 for a monthlong pass. A 10-ride punch ticket costs $5. For a $25 fee, students who have a KU on Wheels bus pass can gain access to the T.

Students who choose to drive on campus have two options through the KU parking department.

A commuter permit allows students to park in designated parking lots around campus. The permit does not guarantee a spot, though. Commuter permits are oversold by about 52 percent, according to Donna Hultine, parking director.

Students living on campus can buy a residence hall permit for parking access to the residence hall lots.

Next semester, both permits will cost $140 for the school year.

KU’s parking department and KU on Wheels work together to provide off-campus students with the park-and-ride program.

Students who choose to use this service can park in the park-and-ride lot at the Lied Center and ride a bus to campus. An annual park and ride pass costs $150 and $85 per semester.

Bicycling is another option available to KU students.

“If you have watched anyone circling the drive, stalking the parking lots, you know it’s much easier to just park the bike in front of the building,” said Eric Struckhoff, chairman of the Lawrence-Douglas County Bicycle Advisory Board. “You’re not using fossil fuels, you’re not putting wear and tear on the road and, of course, there are the health benefits.”

Struckhoff added that the KU campus is bike friendly, and Lawrence drivers are courteous to bicyclists. The only drawback, according to Struckhoff, is that the KU campus is on top of a hill.

Many students live close to campus and walk to class.

“I don’t have to leave my house as early to find a parking spot,” said Kyle Cohlmia, an Italian and art history senior who spends 10 to 15 minutes walking to class every day. “I don’t have to pay for a parking pass. Plus, if I need to run to campus really fast, it’s just right there.

“The buses always stop for students, and there are a lot of crosswalks.”

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