Faculty, staff and students at West Virginia University will soon have a free ride.

Beginning Aug. 1, University personnel and students who want to use public transportation in Monongalia County can ride the Mountain Line Transit System for free by showing their employee identification cards or Mountaineer cards.

Regular operating hours are from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday for rides within Monongalia County, excluding Hundred and Grafton.

Buses leave regularly, usually at the top of the hour and at the half hour for stops including Suncrest, Sabraton, Tyrone Road, Westover, Star City and South Park, among other county locations.

WVU will initially pay the City of Morgantown $60,000 for an estimated 80,000 free faculty, staff and student rides, said David Bruffy, Morgantown Transit Services director. If the number of free rides exceeds the estimated amount, the figure will be adjusted, he noted.

Bruffy said current service provided to WVU faculty, staff and students accounts for 25,000 to 30,000 rides annually, but with the system soon becoming free, he anticipates that number will triple.

Generally, buses leave both the Evansdale Residential Complex (Towers) and the Mountainlair for campus locations every 20 minutes, and unlike many cities which only allow boarding at designated stops, Bruffy said buses can be flagged down and boarded anywhere along the route.

Mountain Line trips can also be customized to best fit the riders needs.

“Riders who want some additional help in planning trips can have our staff custom design a trip schedule for them,”Bruffy explained.”Its all very convenient.”

The buses also are handicap accessible.

Bob Roberts, director of WVU Public Safety and Transportation, is pleased with the new program, saying it should vastly improve parking woes, especially on the Downtown Campus.

“Anyone whos ever not been able to find a parking spot on our campuses, or who has gotten a parking ticket for illegally parking, should see the value of this new program,”Roberts said.”This is a great system, one we hope lots of WVU employees and students will use.”

WVU buses will continue to run their regular schedules from all university locations, including the Health Sciences Center. Buses generally leave every 45 minutes and circle the entire campus before arriving back at their starting locations. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-6:15 p.m. The PRT also will operate its normal hours from 6:15 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. For more information, or to customize a trip, call 291-RIDE or visitwww.busride.org

For specific information on University Bus and PRT operating hours, call 293-5627.