The University of Alabama and the surrounding area is, for many, very walkable. Between the sidewalks, crosswalks and the Riverwalk — which spans almost four miles along the Black Warrior River — there are many options for walking. But when walking from point A to point B is too much, there are many other ways to get around campus and the areas around it.  

One option is bikes. There are many bike lanes on University streets, and residence halls and other campus buildings have bike storage, with 500 racks around campus. This past year, Veo Cosmo E-bikes were placed on UA’s campus, which can be found near bike racks across campus. To use the Veo bikes, you can download the Veo app to scan a QR code. It costs $1 to unlock the device, and an additional $0.39 per minute for the duration of the trip. 

For students bringing their own bikes to campus, the University requires that “every bicycle owned, operated, or stored on campus be registered” by purchasing a bicycle permit on myBama. Students are also able to rent bikes through University Recreation on a monthly or semester basis for $20 and $60, respectively. 

Another useful method of transportation, the Crimson Ride, is limited to campus and select apartments. 

The Crimson Ride Bus system, which runs Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., has nine on-campus routes and 10 off-campus apartment routes, not including routes put in place for football gamedays or other special events. The app Passio Go shows bus routes and arrival information, and tracks individual buses. The buses are free to use and are equipped with wheelchair ramps for accessibility. For more information, refer to UA Transportation.  

The Crimson Ride also has a night service, 348-RIDE, that goes from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. This service serves residence halls and other areas of campus. 

A popular option for students to get to class and off-campus locations is Joyride, a golf cart taxi service. Joyride is not associated with the University, but its carts can be seen around the University from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. Rides range from $3 per person on normal days to $5 per person on home football game days and select special events like commencement weekend.  

To call a ride, students can download Joyride’s app or send a ride request in one of the two GroupMe message groups created by the company. Joyride also offers guided campus tours that can be booked through its website. 

These many transportation options make it easy to get around campus and the surrounding city in an easy, cost-effective way.