The Wesleyan Ram Route is giving Texas Wesleyan students a safe, easy way to travel around the Dallas/ Fort Worth area.
Known as “Ram Van,” the service is in its second semester and is offering students free rides to wherever they want to go.
“I use the Ram Van nearly every weekend,” said Wesleyan student Allycia Jackson. “I use the Ram Van because I am from Pennsylvania and do not have a car down here in Texas to drive.”
The Ram Route has been available to all students since last semester. Students using it sign it with the driver; the van picks up from the West Village clubhouse at 10a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and runs weekends and on holidays until 6 p.m.
“The public transportation in the area isn’t good,” said Dean of Students Dennis Hall. “People aren’t comfortable with it, so we try and provide them with a safe way to travel around Fort Worth.”
The riders can pick anywhere they want to go “within a reasonable distance,” Hall said. When they are ready to be picked up from wherever they are, they simply call the driver and get picked up.
Many of the students that use the route are international students in their first semester at Wesleyan, said Ram Route driver Rolando Munoz.
The most common destinations are Wal-Mart and West 7th Street, but the van can go anywhere the riders want like special grocery stores, Munoz said.
“Students can go virtually anywhere within a reasonable distance from the university,” said Dayon Harris, coordinator of international activities. “Some of the most frequented areas include the entertainment areas in Fort Worth.”
Ram Route has seen a major increase in usage over the last six months, Harris said.
Last semester the ridership was five or 10 passengers a week, and this semester there is an average of 15 to 20 riders per week, according to the Ram Van sign-in log.
“One of the things we are trying to avoid is a drunk van,” Hall said. “This is more of a way for students to get breakfast, lunch and dinner when campus is closed.”
Harris said the best way to improve on Ram Route’s current success is to provide opportunities for students to use it during the week.
