About

History

The University of Georgia Campus Transit System was created in 1966. In the early years, the system operated one route and carried about 800 passengers a day. For the first five years, the system was funded by a 5¢ fare collected in cigar boxes on the dashboard of the bus. In 1972, fare-free bus service was implemented, allowing for more efficient boarding and departure of the buses, and this system has been in place ever since.

(left) Driver Henry Davis and Transportation Supt. John Baker with older, left, and newer buses. (right) Transit employees, from left, John Baker, C. W. “Red” Jaynes, Seth Hunter, and James Farmer.

Public transportation returned to the city of Athens in 1978, and students have been provided fare-free access to Athens Transit on all services and routes they operate through their student fees.

In 1996, the Summer Olympics came to Atlanta and some events took place on the UGA campus. During these events, Campus Transit played a huge part in shuttling participants, Olympic officials, and the general public.

Currently our fleet is second only to MARTA in the state of Georgia in terms of ridership and fleet size, with ridership averages over 33,716 per day. UGA’s Transit Service has grown to include over 30 electric and 60 diesel buses and is considered to be a showcase fleet within university transit systems.