Ride Home Express Tickets On Sale Starting Today

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 15, 2010) – With fall in the air, University of Kentucky students are starting to make travel plans for Thanksgiving and beyond. UK Parking & Transportation Services (PTS) is offering an alternative way to travel for UK students and employees headed to select cities. Starting today, Wednesday, Sept. 15, members of the campus community will be able to purchase tickets for the PTS Ride Home Express, an express bus service traveling to 29 cities at the start and end of each academic break.

The PTS Ride Home Express will provide reliable, comfortable and affordable transportation to and from hometowns or break destinations during the three major academic breaks. The program offers significantly cheaper fares than airlines, and faster travel times than other major bus companies.

“We believe the Ride Home Express will offer a valuable service to UK employees, students and their families,” said Don Thornton, director of Parking & Transportation Services. “For students without cars on campus, it provides a lower cost travel alternative and eliminates the need for families to make repeated trips to and from Lexington. Students with vehicles on campus will also benefit, by avoiding driving during peak times or putting wear and tear on their car or truck.”

PTS has selected eight initial routes, based on historical student geographical information provided by UK Admissions and Registrar’s Office. The final routes and stops include: Atlanta Area Route (Corbin, KY; Knoxville, TN; Chattanooga, TN; Kennesaw, GA); Charleston Area Route (Morehead, KY; Ashland, KY; Cross Lanes, WV); Chicago Area Route (Louisville, KY; Indianapolis, IN; Merrillville, IN);  Cleveland Area Route (Florence, KY; Cincinnati, OH; Dayton, OH; Columbus, OH; Mansfield, OH; Medina, OH); Nashville Area Route (Elizabethtown, KY; Bowling Green, KY; Goodlettsville, TN); Paducah Area Route (Beaver Dam, KY; Madisonville, KY; Paducah, KY); Pikeville Area Route (Stanton, KY; Salyersville, KY; Pikeville, KY); and the Whitesburg Area Route (London, KY; Manchester, KY; Hazard, KY, Whitesburg, KY).

Round-trip fares for the PTS Ride Home Express range from $39-$129, with prices varying based on the final destination. Riders can purchase tickets through the Student Center Ticket Office in person, online at http://getinvolved.uky.edu/ticketoffice/ticketInfo.html or by telephone at (859) 257-TICS (257-8427). Those interesting in travelling on the Ride Home Express are encouraged to purchase tickets as soon as possible, as seating is limited.

The motor coaches used for PTS Ride Home Express offer many amenities, including restrooms, televisions and Wi-Fi. Each of the two motor coach companies used for the program has a toll-free phone number available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The numbers may be used to answer questions and track the buses while en route.

Additional information on the Ride Home Express, including individual route maps, can be found at www.uky.edu/Parking/transportation-ride-home-express.html. PTS has also developed a list of Frequently Asked Questions and answers for the Ride Home Express, which can be found at http://www.uky.edu/Parking/help-faq-bus-ridehomeexpress.html.