Amid COVID-19 pandemic, students are using UTRGV’s transportation services. They are all wearing face masks as required by the federal mandate first implemented Jan. 29, 2021, by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. A poster reminds the campus community to wear facial coverings. Citlalli Torres/The Rider
UTRGV transportation services began operations last Tuesday, the first day of class, according to a university official.
Ian Chavez, UTRGV’s assistant director of transportation, said the bus schedule will remain identical to that of Fall 2021.
The timetable is available at utrgv.edu/transportation.
“Everything is going to be based on demand,” Chavez said. “We’ll send out what available resources we have.”
UTRGV’s fleet of transportation vehicles consists of a 45-foot passenger bus that holds 56 passengers and five 42-passenger buses.
“Currently, we [are] averaging 2 to 3 passengers per departure,” Chavez wrote in an email to The Rider Wednesday night. “This, of course, will change once the semester returns some classes to a traditional setting on the 31st of January.”
Passengers are required to wear a mask the entire duration of their ride.
“Since our vehicles are federally funded, we have our mask mandate that is issued out by [the Transportation Security Administration],” Chavez said. “That will be until March 18, 2022.”
The mandate was first implemented Jan. 29 last year, and has been extended since then.
Chavez said the mandate may be extended again by the TSA.
Transportation services are still experiencing a shortage of employees.
“It’s a nationwide issue with trying to hire staff with a [commercial driver’s license],” Chavez said. “We’ll do our best to make sure that we have enough staff available for our transportation needs.”
In Brownsville, there are two vacant positions for drivers and three on the Edinburg campus.
Marketing junior Haziel Gonzales is based on the Brownsville campus and enrolled in five classes this semester.
“I have used it in the past,” Gonzales said about university transportation. “It did change a bit how I move around and how I schedule my other classes. … I have to take into account, like, about an hour and a half, you know, the traveling.”
Gonzales said the mask requirement for the buses makes sense given the circumstances created by COVID-19.
“They’re taking precautions,” he said. “It does make sense. I think if they just do the masks, you know, that’s OK. But if they were to say, ‘Keep one seat between people’ … it would reduce the amount of people that can go on that bus, and it will make things more hectic.”
Gonzales will use university transportation services to travel from Brownsville to Edinburg for one class this semester.
Computer science senior Ruben De La Cruz is enrolled in five classes this semester and plans to use transportation services when classes resume in person.
“I’m going to be going to Edinburg every day,” De La Cruz said. “All my classes are on the other campus.”
The senior said it is his first time using transportation services.
“I usually always took classes here in Brownsville,” De La Cruz said. “But, now that I don’t really have the option to do that, I have to go to the other campus.”
De la Cruz is glad that passengers will be required to wear masks.
“I honestly think it’s important to wear the mask because of the new variants and stuff,” he said. “Since some people don’t want to get the vaccine, it’s just a big help for people to wear the mask.”
As for any upgrades to the shuttle waiting zones, UTRGV has yet to receive final word on any projects, according to Chavez.
The Rider reached out to Gerardo Rodriguez, UTRGV’s director of Facilities Planning and Construction, for an interview regarding the waiting zone upgrades.
As of last Wednesday, Rodriguez had not returned calls to The Rider.
