Students at The University of Akron can travel around Akron for free by using the Roo Express, the METRO Regional Transit Authority and a new bike share program.

The Roo Express is a transportation service that can take students around campus and to neighborhoods near campus. The shuttle currently has eight routes to accommodate students with their transportation needs.

The main weekday routes operate from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. These routes include the Polsky Express Route, the East Route and the South Route.

Other routes include the Downtown Route, the Weekend Route, the Chapel Hill Route and the Rob’s Holiday Route. Times for these routes vary, but all information about these routes can be found on the Parking and Transportation Services website at http://www.uakron.edu/parking/roo-express/spring-and-fall-routes.dot.

The METRO DASH Route is another route provided by the shuttle service, and it is perhaps the most important route. It takes students around downtown Akron and to the Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center, Jared Coleman, the director of the Parking and Transportation Services said.

The METRO DASH is convenient for dining services during the week when the Roo Express is not going to those locations, Coleman said.

As well as the Roo Express services, students can also ride the METRO RTA for free by swiping their Zip Card. This is convenient for students who don’t have a car. With the METRO RTA, students can go anywhere locally, Coleman said. One of the most popular areas that students go using the Metro RTA is Highland Square, He said.

Students can track the Roo Express and METRO DASH using the DoubleMap app, Coleman said. Samantha Rohrbough, the assistant director of the Parking and Transportation Services said the app also posts announcements, like detours.

The app does not work for the METRO RTA but the METRO has its own tracking app called MyStop, Rohrbough said.

An alternative to the METRO RTA and the Roo express would be The University of Akron’s Bike Share program. Starting in the fall, students would be able to go to the Student Recreation and Wellness Center or the Parking and Transportation Services and check out a bike for the day, Coleman said.

Along with a bike, the students would also be given a helmet and a lock.

These services allow students without a car to live farther away from campus, Coleman said. It also encourages them to park their car once and use the services throughout the day, Coleman said. This cuts down on traffic throughout the campus, he said.

“We are here to help assist students. We want to help them get to class easier,” Rohrbough said.

The Roo Express and METRO DASH are wheelchair accessible. They also work in tandem with the UA police and campus patrol to keep the campus safer, Coleman said.