There is no yellow brick road of transportation in the land of the orange and blue.
Using public transit at UF and Gainesville in general can be difficult if you don't know all your options.
But getting around campus in a hurry or in bad weather becomes possible once you know what the Regional Transit System can do.
"Students may not be aware that they are allowed to ride the bus because they have a fee attached to every credit hour," said Chip Skinner, marketing and communications supervisor at RTS.
Skinner was a student at UF in the late 1980s and knows that taking the bus instead of driving "takes some of the stress of waking up early and being a parking space vulture" away.
All UF students need to ride any RTS bus in Gainesville is their Gator 1 Card to show the bus driver.
Each semester, RTS, UF faculty and Student Government officials meet to rework routes and see where the routes should be, Skinner said.
Through Student Government discussion and student petitions, RTS will implement two new Later Gator routes this fall.
"The Later Gator service is invaluable for students who have extracurriculars downtown and for the Greek community who have socials," he said. "And if they choose to partake in alcoholic beverages, they don't have to think about drinking and driving," he said.
For example, the Later Gator A runs from campus to downtown, he said.
RTS offers busing for those students who need to get around campus late at night.
Goodnight Gator, a service offered on some routes, stops running at 11:40 p.m.
RTS also helps riders navigate Gainesville during the insanity of home football games.
The Gator Aider service takes on campus for the Gator football games.
Unlike all other RTS services, the Gator Aider costs $10 for a round trip per game for students, community members and alumni.
Skinner said the service is largely used by Gator alumni and football fans who are in town for the games.
Student Government not only vouches for public transportation, but also provides some of its own along with the University Police Department.
The Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol offers van rides or walking escorts to your desired on-campus location until 3 a.m.
When you call (352) 392-SNAP, a dispatcher will ask your first name, location and destination, and then will let you know how long until SNAP can help you.
If you are looking for taxi service off campus, then you always use traditional taxi services and Gainesville's new GOTCHA rides.
Be sure you know your rights with taxis, which should be posted in every taxi, and make sure you are not getting overcharged.
The new Green Operated Transportation Carry Humanity Around (GOTCHA) rides, which are 100 percent electric, are free to use. It is customary, however, to tip the driver.
The vehicles can be seen around most bars and clubs at closing time.
During the day, students without a car have the option of using a Zipcar.
For $35 a year, students and faculty can just swipe their Zipcard, which you receive once you register, and start driving with a limit of 180 free miles a day.
With gas and insurance included, once you are done with the Zipcar, you park it in the same spot from which you got the car.
It's time for you to be creative with how you get around Gainesville and campus. Be sure to think of all your options before deciding on just one.
