How are you handling the transportation challenges in front of you? Have you started riding the bus more often to off-set the higher gas prices? Are you trying to start a vanpool to avoid putting wear & tear on your personal vehicle?

Tell us all about how you're reThinking your commute by sending us an email.

This month we wanted to tell you about the great things happening on the campus of the University of Central Florida (UCF).

Located in east Orlando, thousands of students and employees travel to the campus every day. With that many people commuting to and from the campus, there are quite a few transportation challenges. These challenges are being met with creativity and innovation, leading to more people taking advantage of transportation options. 

We hope the UCF transportation highlights in this e-newsletter inspire you to reThink your commute (if you haven't already). GO KNIGHTS!

Carsharing gives people access to cars when they need them without the long-term commitment of a monthly car payment. Perhaps best summed up as "short-term car rental," UCF became the first local example of carsharing with the launch of their partnership with Zipcar, Inc. in the fall semester of 2011.

The program is open to UCF students, faculty and staff ages 18 and over. Members pay a $35 annual fee, which allows them to reserve cars in one-hour time spans for as little as $8 an hour. That hourly rate includes gas, insurance, roadside assistance, and the ability to drive up to 180 miles (not that anyone would drive that much in one hour!). Reservations can be made online or on your smart phone thanks to mobile applications for both iPhone and Android phones.

According to Zipcar, Inc.'s President and COO Mark Norman, each car that is shared replaces 15 privately-owned vehicles and reduces the number of miles a "carsharer" typically drives by almost 50%.

For more information, check out www.zipcar.com/ucf or call 1-800-4ZIPCAR.

Transit & UCF

The UCF campus is served by a number of transit routes, from UCF Shuttles to LYNX routes. The on-campus shuttle system is called "The Black & Gold Line" and is operated by UCF Parking & Transportation Services. The Black Route runs clockwise around the campus; the Gold Route runs counter-clockwise. Each route operates between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. There are also shuttles that serve off-campus locations. Riders can track arrivals and departures at http://ucfmobile.etaspot.net.

LYNX also serves the campus with Links 13, 104, 434 and NeighborLink 621 (formerly known as the PickUpLine). Link 13 connects the campus with downtown Orlando. Link 104 connects west Orlando to the campus (which is on the east side of Orlando) with limited-stop service down SR 50. Link 434 provides a connection from Altamonte Springs, Winter Springs and Oviedo. NeighborLink 621 provides a connection along SR 50 east of Alafaya Trail.

The UCF SGA launched "KnightLYNX" in the Spring 2011 semester. KnightLYNX operates between the hours of 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM. Funded by the SGA, UCF students can ride the KnightLYNX for free with a valid UCF ID card.

LYNX is running a pilot of real-time information on Link 13 (LYNX Central Station in downtown Orlando to UCF) and KnightLYNX (both the Blue and Green routes). Thanks to this pilot program, Link 13 and KnightLYNX riders can find out the arrival/departure time of the next bus on their smart phones.

See how it works by downloading "The LYNX - Orlando Transit App" which is currently available in the Google Play Android Market and the iTunes App Store.

The pilot is scheduled to end May 31. LYNX is looking for feedback from riders using this app. Send your feedback to inquiry@golynx.com.

UCF is following the example of Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, and MIT by installing permanently mounted, Do-It-Yourself repair stands. These stands help cyclists perform some of the most common maintenance tweaks to their bikes.

SpokesCouncil, the bike advocacy club on campus, made the case for the repair stands, securing funds after several months of hard work. Marcus Bagnell, SpokesCouncil President, tells us that they've also received funds to hire part-time staff to assist students and commuters in performing maintenance on their bikes.

Way to go SpokesCouncil and the UCF Student Government Association for making this happen!

Since August 2010, two UCF employees have been leading a Bike Bus from downtown Orlando to UCF.

What's a Bike Bus? The concept is simple: a Bike Bus is an organized group of cyclists with a common destination. It is similar to fixed-route transit in that bike commuters follow a fixed route and schedule, allowing cyclists to "jump on the bus" at their convenience along the route.

The cool thing about the UCF Bike Bus is that the organizers - Jason Buckner and Kittzy Aviles - developed a website and real-time Bike Bus tracker. The website includes information on the route and commuting FAQs. The real-time Bike Bus tracker allows people to find out when the group will be showing up along the route so you know when you can join them.

Are you currently biking to work and interested in leading a Bike Bus of your own? Let us know!