Shuttle–UM is a transit system operated by the Department of Transportation Services (DOTS) at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). The network provides regular, commuter, night, and demand responsive services to campus and surrounding areas. Shuttle-UM is funded by various student fees and university departments, allowing passengers to ride fare free. In late 2015, the system reported an annual ridership of nearly 3 million passengers. The agency expanded to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) in 2012, which coincided with the relocation of maintenance and administrative operations to an on-campus facility.
History
1970s–2000s Shuttle–UM was established in November 1972 by the University of Maryland, College Park's (UMD) Black Student Union as an initiative to promote security for students walking through campus during the evening hours. Operations began with the use of two vans to circulate campus, which were purchased by Student Government Association (SGA), the campus' student governing body, through approval by the Office of Commuter Student Affairs, a campus organization supporting students commuters. The operations were run in the basement of a residence hall on campus and consisted of running the vans on two fixed routes. By Spring 1973, the Residence Hall Association, the governing body for the campus' dormitory halls, donated an additional van which led to three fixed routes running through campus in the evening. By the end of the system's first year of service, 65,000 had been transported. The following year saw the addition of daytime routes to operations to parking lots and the establishment of Call-A-Ride, which was the original first curb-to-curb service for the transit system. In 1975, four Mercedes-Benz vans were purchased to expand the fleet to six vehicles. This same year, the name Shuttle-UM was established, three years after being a service provided by SGA, Shuttle–UM was now an independent entity for UMD. Upon the transit system's independence, Charter service was added to its operations in 1975; the following year saw expansion to the curb-to-curb service with Disability Transit Service for eligible individuals; off-campus routes were established in 1976.
During late 1978, Shuttle–UM's first facility was built on an off-campus parking lot on Greenhouse Road adjacent to Baltimore Avenue.Handbook 2012-13, p. 75 The new facility was known as UMD Building 013 and featured expanded maintenance facilities. Upon 1979, the project that started as a security service expanded to a transit system consisting of 10 routes with over 20 vehicles. Through 1985 and 1988, the Greenhouse facility was expanded to accommodate growing operations with new administrative offices and maintenance facilities. Shuttle–UM's expansion in 1985 also composed of ridership growing to just over 1 million passengers annually and employing 125 student employees that took various positions within the department. By 1986, Shuttle–UM became a member of the American Public Transportation Association and the Transit Association of Maryland. Between 1999 and 2001, facilities were expanded to accommodate an expanding fleet spurred by growing ridership; the administrative offices also underwent a further expansion in 2001 due to said growth.
Early 2010s Annual ridership reached 3 million for the first time during the 2011–2012 academic year. In 2012, the construction of a brand new facility was completed on Paint Branch Drive adjacent to the XFINITY Center, which fit into DOTS' mission and goal to become sustainable. The Paint Branch facility features sustainable design elements including a green roof and geothermal climate control. Its construction allowed for the consolidation of various facilities previously spread across multiple locations. In August 2012, operations extended to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), and featured three routes designed to support campus mobility. These routes, which required a valid university ID, were operated and maintained by the main campus Department of Transportation Services in Baltimore, with primary fleet support based at the Paint Branch facility.
Fares Shuttle–UM and UM Shuttle are complimentary services via paid student fees and UMD's Student Affairs' funds. Additionally, living complexes and businesses pay the organization to run the service in their area, which allow riders to ride by just showing drivers a university ID, not limited to University of Maryland System schools. Residents of College Park were granted access to Shuttle–UM's services via a program approved by city council in 2010, which granted residents passes to show drivers. In September 2012, the city of Greenbelt passed a similar program to that of College Park allowing passes for its residents to use Shuttle–UM's services.
Governance Shuttle–UM, although as separate entity in the beginning, is now a branch of DOTS, along with Campus Parking Enforcement. Both are housed at the Paint Branch facility; however, customer inquires regarding parking operate out of Regents Drive Garage offices. The department is overseen by the senior director, who delegates planning and oversee activity of every branch of the agency.
Routes
The Shuttle–UM transit system primarily operates circulator routes that start and end on the UMCP campus. As of January 2022, there are 19 routes operated by Shuttle–UM, two of which are operated by a subcontractor. The system's bus routes utilize three bus terminals: Adele H. Stamp Student Union, Regents Drive Parking Ramp, and the College Park–University of Maryland station.
RouteTerminals Via Notes104 College Park Metro StationCommuter serviceRegents Drive Garage ↔College Park–UMD Station Camden Line Paint Branch Parkway, River Road105 The CourtyardsCommuter serviceRegents Drive Garage ↔The Courtyards at UMD ApartmentsBuilding #500 Metzerott Road, Greenmeade Drive, Boteler LaneOperates Weekdays108 AdelphiCommuter serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔AdelphiThe Chateau Apartments at Mount Pisgah Road Metzerott Road, New Hampshire AvenueOperates weekdays109 River RoadSpecial serviceCollege Park–UMD Station Camden Line ↔M-Square Research Park River RoadOperates weekday peak service110 Seven Springs ApartmentsCommuter serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔Seven Springs Apartments University Boulevard, Rhode Island Avenue, Baltimore Avenue...Operates weekdays111 Silver SpringCommuter serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionLot HH at Campus Drive ↔Silver Spring Takoma Park Silver Spring Metro Station Outbound: University Boulevard, Carroll Avenue, Flower Avenue... Inbound: Wayne Avenue, Flower Avenue, Carroll Avenue... Operates weekdays113 HyattsvilleCommuter serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔Hyattsville Hyattsville Crossing Metro Station Outbound: Adelphi Road, Belcrest Road, Queensbury Road,... Inbound: Baltimore Avenue, Queensbury Road, Belcrest Road,...Operates weekdays114 University ViewCommuter serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionLot HH at Campus Drive ↔University View Apartments Outbound: Campus Drive, Knox Road, Baltimore Avenue Inbound: Baltimore AvenueOperates Weekdays115 OrangeEvening serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔North Campus Downtown College park Loop: Campus Drive, Regents Drive, Baltimore AvenueOperates Fridays and weekends with extended overnight hours Friday-Saturday.116 PurpleEvening serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionLot HH at Campus Drive ↔The Courtyards at UMD Apartments Downtown College Park Loop: Campus Drive, Regents Drive, University Boulevard, Metzerott Road,...Operates Fridays and weekends with extended overnight hours Friday-Saturday.117 BlueEvening serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionLot HH at Campus Drive ↔Downtown College Park Uptown College Park Loop: Campus Drive, Mowatt Lane, Knox Road, Baltimore Avenue,...Operates Fridays and weekends with extended overnight hours Friday-Saturday.118 GoldEvening serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔South Campus North Campus Graduate Housing Downtown College Park Loop: Campus Drive, Preinkert Drive, University Boulevard,...Operates Fridays and weekends with extended overnight hours Friday-Saturday.122 GreenEvening serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔South Campus Graham Cracker (Sorority Housing) Fraternity Row Downtown College Park North Campus Loop: Campus Drive, Preinkert Drive, Knox Road,...Operates Fridays and weekends with extended overnight hours Friday-Saturday.124 The Universities at Shady GroveCommuter ServiceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔Universities at Shady Grove Outbound: Campus Drive, New Hampshire Avenue, Interstate 95,... Inbound: Interstate 95, Baltimore Avenue, Campus Drive,...Operates weekday express bus service125 CirculatorCommuter ServiceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔Graduate Housing Downtown College Park Uptown College Park Xfinity Center Loop: Campus Drive, Guildford Drive, Baltimore Avenue,...Operates weekdays126 New CarrolltonCommuter ServiceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔New Carrollton New Carrollton Station Penn Line Campus Drive, Baltimore Avenue, Maryland Route 410...Operates weekdays127 Mazza GrandMarcCommuter ServiceRegents Drive Garage ↔Mazza GrandMarc Apartments Baltimore Avenue, Paint Branch Drive...Operates weekdays128 The EnclaveCommuter ServiceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔The Enclave Apartments Outbound: Campus Drive, University Boulevard... Inbound: Baltimore Avenue, Paint Branch Drive...Operates weekdays129 Franklin Park at Greenbelt StationCommuter ServiceRegents Drive Garage ↔Franklin Park Apartments at Greenbelt Station Greenbelt Station Camden Line Outbound: Paint Branch Parkway, Kenilworth Avenue, Edmonston Road... Inbound: Cherrywood Lane, Pontiact Street, Edmonston Road...Operates weekdays during summer break130 GreenbeltCommuter ServiceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionCampus Drive at Slip ↔Greenbelt NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Outbound: Greenbelt Road Inbound: Ridge Road, Kenilworth Avenue...Operates weekdays131 The Enclave and Mazza GrandMarcEvening ServiceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionCampus Drive at Lot HH ↔Downtown College Park Mazza GrandMarc Apartments The Enclave Apartments Baltimore AvenueOperates Thursday–Saturday.132 The VarsityCommuter serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionLot HH at Campus Drive ↔The Varsity Apartments Outbound: Campus Drive, Knox Road, Baltimore Avenue Inbound: Baltimore Avenue, Campus DriveOperates weekdays133 The Mall at Prince George'sWeekend serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionSlip at Campus Drive ↔The Mall at Prince George's Hyattsville Crossing Metro Station Baltimore Avenue, Adelphi Road, Belcrest Road...Operates on Saturdays134 Mazza GrandMarc and Seven Springs ApartmentsCommuter serviceRegents Drive Garage ↔Seven Springs Apartments Mazza GrandMarc Apartments Outbound: Campus Drive, Baltimore Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue... Inbound: Baltimore Avenue, Paint Branch Drive, Stadium DriveOperates weekdays during summer break135 University ConnectorCommuter ServiceRegents Drive Garage ↔Graduate Housing Downtown College Park Uptown College Park The Courtyards at UMD Apartments Loop: Campus Drive, Baltimore Avenue, Guilford Drive ...Operates weekdays136 IndigoEvening serviceAdele H. Stamp Student UnionCampus Drive at Lot HH ↔The Courtyards at UMD Graduate Housing Downtown College Park Uptown College Park Loop: Regents Drive, University Boulevard, Guilford Drive...Operates weekends during summer break
Fleet
Shuttle-UM owns over 70 vehicles in its fleet.
DeliveredMakeModel2005-2017Gillig Low Floor 35' 2010-2019Low Floor 40'2016-2017Low Floor 29'2017-2020MCIJ4500
References
External links Official site Shuttle-UM records, University of Maryland Libraries