Get On the UGA Bus

A Guide to UGA’s Bus System

If you do not get a parking pass on UGA’s campus, do not fret, it is very easy to learn the bus system, use it to your advantage, and get where you need to go. The UGA bus is a free on-campus shuttle system available to all UGA students, faculty, and staff.

All UGA busses look the exact same except for the flashing signs at the front, back, and sides of the busses that tell you the route name. The first thing you should know before stepping on a bus is the stop you need to get off of and how fast you need to get there. Those two simple facts will be huge determining factors in which bus you decide to get on. The UGA mobile app for iPhone and Android has a live map feature that allows you to see busses, their routes, the way they are headed, and the stops that they are closest to. Using the bus features on this app is the easiest way to learn the bus system because it has updated time estimates and route information for each bus.

The UGA bus part of the app helps you track where the busses are, how far they are away from you, and where they are headed. Since UGA is such a big campus, it can be difficult to figure out what bus to get on to get where you need to go. The “directions” tab under the UGA Bus portion lets you type in where you are and where you are trying to go and it will give you the best routes to take for busses, driving, or walking. The “stops” tab gives you the option to select the stop you are at and it will tell you which busses stop there and where those busses are going. The “routes” tab allows you the ability to see all the busses that are running at that given time, and you can click on each route to see where the bus is, how far it is from each stop, and what stops it is servicing. Under the “routes” tab you also have the ability to switch from “Route List” to “Live Map” per route where you can visually see the bus route, where the busses are, watch them move from stop to stop, and see what direction they are going in. The “favorites” tab where you can add the routes you normally take and can view them with ease.

Campus Access

Busses at UGA service all over campus, Milledge Avenue, and Prince Avenue. You have access to all of the campus, Greek housing, and downtown all from the UGA bus system so a car is really not necessary if you do not want it. If you do not have access to the apps, you can always use the webpage or ask the bus driver or students on campus for help; everyone has been confused about the bus system at some point or another, so do not be afraid to ask!

Another great bus system available to UGA students, faculty, and staff is the Athens-Clarke County Transit. Rides on this system are free as long as you present your UGA ID upon boarding the bus. These busses do not run on campus but have stops within walking distance to dorms and popular campus spots. Taking the Athens transit will get you to places that are farther off-campus without needing a car, such as Kroger, Target, gyms, fast food restaurants, etc. that are not in the downtown or campus area. The Athens Transit also has a live map feature available online and the UGA App has a feature inside the app that allows you to track the Athens Transit busses just like UGA busses.

Whether you choose to bring a car or not, we definitely recommend taking advantage of the many options available for students. Parking and commuting to UGA can be a hassle, but with the use of both bus systems, it can become stress-free, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.

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