By Nick Gray and Sarah Brookbank

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When there are more parking passes than there are spots, alternative modes of travel may seem more appealing. Here are some things to know about getting to campus:

Bus

Lextran and UK have increased the ability of students, faculty and staff to get around campus by enacting the BluPass program for all routes.

According to Lextran, route 14, which serves most of campus, and route 15, which goes through Red Mile Road and Angliana Avenue are the routes where BluPass will be the most popular. This route will include many apartments and residential areas. Any member of student body, faculty or staff will be able to ride for free if they show a Wildcat ID. UK paid $160,000 for the agreement, according to Lextran.

“UK and Lextran have had a relationship for a long time,” Lextran spokeswoman Jill Barnett said. “This is an opportunity for both sides and the students and staff of UK to benefit.”

Barnett said 17 percent of all riders are UK students. A semester BluPass for students cost $50 last year and single rides cost 80 cents. The program began July 1 and is slated to continue at least through the school year. Riding trips increased from June (295,021) to July (297,514), and 26,000 riding trips were made in July using BluPass, Barnett said.

The program is a part of UK’s continuing initiative to reduce vehicle traffic while encouraging students, faculty and staff to walk or bike as a way to move around campus. All Lextran busses include a bike rack for students and faculty who use them.

Car

Available parking spots and parking passes have decreased in the last two years as construction increases throughout campus.

Places affected the most include the areas around the construction of the new football training complex, along Commonwealth Stadium and the lots that closed at the old Student Center.

The closed lots at the Student Center contained around 220 spots though a lot is currently being built that will contain about 230 spots. A total of 673 spots will be permanently lost around Commonwealth Stadium due to construction and expansion. To compensate, the existing Commonwealth Stadium Orange Lot is expanding to add about 500 spots, and will be open for the fall semester.

Bike

Parking and Transportations Services has spent the past few years trying to construct and improve routes for bicyclists.

PTS has created more bike lanes and bike racks around campus. The Alumni Drive reconstruction and the new roads around Woodland Glen and the 90 all have dedicated bike lanes and new buildings will have bike parking.

Lance Broeking, Director of Parking and Transportation Services said the most important part of creating the bike advisory is that bikes are no longer an afterthought during construction. Broeking stressed that education for students on campus is also important, especially for freshmen who are new to using bicycles as their main form of transportation.

“It’s a common misnomer that you can’t ride your bike on a sidewalk — you really have to be aware of the people around you,” Broeking said. “You should ride no faster than a slow jog, let people know that you’re behind them and be careful in intersections.”

During construction on main roads like Avenue of Champions, Broeking suggested that bikers should take core routes on campus, which will be less crowded and will have less cars.

Quick paths to get to main campus from south campus are through Huguelet or Hilltop, between the parking garage and new science building, then down Rose. Bike racks in front of Funkhouser are plentiful if students need to get to the Engineering Complex or B&E.  Patterson Drive is also a good way to get to the core of the north area of campus and has bike parking at the top and near Whitehall, Patterson Office Tower and Bowman’s Den.

Chrissie Tune, a Senior Marketing and Promotion Specialist for PTS, acknowledged that in many places on main campus it is difficult to find a place to park a bike, especially during periods where many students are on campus.

“Bikes must be parked at bike racks,” Tune said. “Parking in the wrong location can create a fire hazard and cause problems for people with disabilities.”