#AskDCTA: What are the Best DCTA Transportation Options for College Students?

September 25, 2017

Have you ever wondered how to use our GORequest tool to get your questions answered? Not sure what type of fare you need for your next trip? Now you can #AskDCTA! In our new monthly blog series, our customer service team will be answering frequently-asked rider questions to better engage with our riders and improve their experience when riding DCTA.

For the month of September, Samantha Balderas – Customer Communications Specialist – gave us some insight on transportation options for new college students!

 

1. What DCTA transportation options do students have at University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University, and North Texas Central College?

We offer several transportation services for students of the UNT, TWU, and NCTC in Corinth and Flower Mound.

University of North Texas

The UNT Campus Shuttle is a DCTA service offered in partnership with University of North Texas (UNT) to provide direct shuttle service to the campus and off campus student-oriented housing. UNT students have the option to ride any of the eight UNT Campus Shuttles free of charge with a valid student ID. Students can ride the shuttles to get to various points throughout campus such as the Student Union, Fouts Field, and off-campus student housing!

Another option for UNT students is the Denton Connect Routes 7 and 8 which serve the UNT campus from the Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC) offering transfer opportunities to the A-train.

During the academic year, the UNT Campus Shuttles operate Monday through Friday, with Mean Green Night rider service on nights and weekends.  Limited summer service is offered late May through mid-August. UNT Campus Shuttle service does not operate on the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

For bus schedule and route information, visit the UNT Parking and Transportation website.

Texas Woman’s University

Connect Routes 5 and 6 serve Texas Woman’s University from the Denton Transit Center (DDTC) offering transfer opportunities to the A-train and other Denton Connect Bus routes that serve the city of Denton. When transferring from one route to another, remember to ask your DCTA bus operator for a transfer slip to present to your connecting bus.

Students can also ride DCTA to get to the TWU Dallas Campus. To get there, take the A-train to the Trinity Mills Station and transfer to DART’s Green Line. Get off the DART Green Line at the Southwest Medical District/Parkland Station and take either Bus Route 405 or Bus Route 453 to the Inwood @ Southwestern Medical stop.

Returning from the TWU Dallas Campus, you will pick up Bus Route 453 at the Inwood @ Southwestern Medical stop. Take Bus Route 453 to the Southwest Medical District/Parkland Station where you will catch the DART Green Line headed north to the Trinity Mills Station. At the Trinity Mills Station transfer to the A-train. Please note that trips to and from TWU Dallas requires a regional fare.

North Central Texas College

The NCTC Campus Shuttle is a DCTA service offered in partnership with North Central Texas College (NCTC) to provide direct shuttle service to the Corinth and Flower Mound campuses as well as connectivity between Denton and Lewisville. Students attending the NCTC Corinth and Flower Mound campuses can ride the NCTC Campus Shuttle service free of charge with a valid student ID. Not only does the shuttle service connect these two campuses, but they also connect students to the Denton and Lewisville! NCTC students can also ride DCTA’s Connect Bus for free with a valid NCTC student ID card.

During the academic year, the NCTC Campus Shuttle operates Monday through Friday. There is no service on the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

The campus shuttle may not operate during mini-mesters in the winter and spring at the discretion of NCTC.

 

2. What is DCTA’s University Pass Program and how does it work?

DCTA, in partnership with Denton County higher education institutions, has established a University Pass Program to encourage use of the regional transit network and to provide an affordable and convenient commute alternative for students, faculty and staff affiliated with local colleges and universities. The University Pass Program is an affordable and convenient commute alternative for students, faculty and staff of UNT, TWU, and NCTC. There are two levels of passes—local system and regional system. Local system passes are valid on:

• A-train
• Connect Bus (Denton and Lewisville)
• Highland Village Connect Shuttle and Community On-Demand
• UNT Campus Shuttles
• NCTC Campus Shuttles
• North Texas Xpress (Denton-Alliance only)

Regional System passes are valid on:

• A-train
• Connect Bus (Denton and Lewisville)
• Highland Village Connect Shuttle and Community On-Demand
• UNT Campus Shuttles
• NCTC Campus Shuttles
• North Texas Xpress
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) rail and bus fixed-route service
• Trinity Railway Express (TRE)
• Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) bus service

The University Pass Program is a great opportunity to save money on gas and campus parking fees! For pricing information and how to purchase, visit our website here.

 

3. Can students ride the Connect Bus service in Denton and Lewisville for free?

DCTA Connect Bus services are free for UNT and NCTC students with a valid student ID card. TWU students can purchase DCTA Connect Bus fare at a discounted rate. Discounted DCTA Connect Bus tickets can be purchased at TWU’s Office of Commuter Services.

We also offer a reduced rate for high school students between the ages of 15 to 18 with a valid high school or DCTA-issued ID. Please note that college students ages 18 and under do not qualify for the reduced fare rate. For more fare information, visit our “411 on Connect Fare” blog post.

 

4. Can students ride the A-train for free?

We recently rolled out promotional A-train free fare zones for DCTA passengers. The rail line between the Downtown Denton Transit Center and the MedPark Station, as well as between the Hebron Station and the Trinity Mills Station will no longer require a paid fare. The area between the MedPark Station and the Hebron Station will be the new fare enforcement zone where students will need to have a local or regional pass to ride.

We highly recommend taking advantage of the promotional free fare zones to avoid parking on campus! Students can park at the MedPark station and catch UNT’s Colorado Express shuttle to get to campus. Another option is to ride the A-train to the DDTC for free and then transfer to Denton Connect Route 7 and 8 to UNT or Routes 5 and 6 to TWU.

PLEASE NOTE: The new A-train free fare zones is a promotion only and not an official fare change.

 

We hope Samantha helped answer all of your questions about transportation options for students of Denton County!

Have another question you want our customer service team to answer? Here’s how you can submit them:

• Send your feedback via our GORequest online customer service tool and choose the menu option “#AskDCTA Series”
• Post your question on our Twitter or Facebook page (be sure to use #AskDCTA)
• Drop a note in the comments section on our Hop on Board blog.

While we can’t guarantee that every question submitted will be answered, we will consider all inquiries and will feature questions that will greatly benefit the majority of our riders!

---