Roo Express Shuttle Service
Holiday & Inclement Weather Route
The Roo Express Shuttle Service provides transportation to University buildings in the downtown area, neighborhoods near campus, and the parking lots on the North side of campus. During the fall and spring semesters the shuttle also services students on the weekends to and from the downtown area.
When bad weather affects our operations
In the event of severe weather, we may adjust operations to help assure safety while providing some services to students.
Operations that may be affected by inclement weather:
- Delayed, modified, or suspended Roo Express shuttle operations.
- “Midnight Clear,” in which we ask motorists to move their vehicles from surface lots and the rooftops of parking decks to a covered space, so that snow can be plowed.
Roo Express operations during winter weather events
When winter weather conditions cause the University to delay opening, cancel classes, or close, these conditions often impact the operation of the Roo Express shuttle buses. In such cases, road conditions are often severe enough to create a safety hazard, and shuttle operations must be suspended until road conditions improve.
At times, main roadways are clear and safe enough to be driven upon, but secondary residential streets are not. When this occurs, the Roo Express buses may operate on a modified campus loop known as the Rob’s Holiday Route (see below).
Up-to-date shuttle service information regarding the impact of winter weather events will be posted to the DoubleMap real-time bus tracking app. Information regarding the current status of Akron METRO RTA routes can be found at yourbus.org.
ROB'S HOLIDAY ROUTE
On the Rob’s Holiday Route, the shuttle makes 10 stops:
1. Across from Quaker Square on Mill Street
2. At the corner of Exchange and Main Street
3. At the RKP Metro RTA Transit Center off Broadway St.
4. At The Depot Apts.
5. The Student Union
6. In front of Starbucks on Exchange St.
7. On Exchange St. at University Edge apts.
8. Across the street from Spicer Hall on Spicer Street
9. Near Fir Hill Towers on South Forge St.
10. At Rob’s Cafe near the Honors College
The shuttle only operates on holidays or inclement weather days during fall and spring semesters.
City of Akron Parking Ban
When there is significant snowfall the City of Akron may issue a city street parking ban. When a city parking ban is in effect, permit holders may park without an overnight parking sticker under a covered parking deck level and should follow the “Midnight Clear” rules.
'Midnight Clear' for snow plowing
In the event of a significant snowfall, a special rule to facilitate the plowing of parking lots will be enacted, called “Midnight Clear”.
During a Midnight Clear all vehicles that remain in campus parking lots and decks must be moved under a covered level of a parking deck (i.e. not on a deck rooftop or surface lot). This allows snow plows to efficiently and effectively remove snow from parking areas, and prevents vehicles from getting “plowed in,” or surrounded by large mounds of plowed snow. It is important that Midnight Clear rules be followed so that we can maintain a safe environment for the campus community.
Notification will be sent to resident students via our Z-Alert text-messaging service instructing them to relocate their vehicles to a covered area within a parking deck. Notification will be sent to all members of the campus community within Zipmail and the Digest. These announcements will include information about the expected duration of the event as well as instructions regarding when vehicles should be returned to surface parking areas. During a Midnight Clear all covered portions of campus parking decks are considered to have an “all-permit” designation, meaning that all resident, commuter, or visitor permits are valid within them.
Any vehicles that are not relocated for snow plowing may be ticketed.
If you agreed to receive text messages from UA when you applied for admissions, you are already in our text-messaging software. If you did not, sign up for the Z-Alert text messaging service.