by Stacy Hutto
Staff writer
For students, staff and faculty living in Sherman or Denison, there is relief from prices at the gas pump.
Thanks to grants received by the Texoma Area Paratransit System or TAPS, a shuttle bus goes from Southeastern to Sherman four times a day starting at 7:20 a.m.
The bus also picks up and drops off passengers in Denison.
The bus is air-conditioned and is equipped with Wi-Fi so commuters are able to work or play online while on the way to their destination. A full schedule can be downloaded at www.goredriver.com/se-storm-route-schedule/.
The bus costs $1 one-way, or you can get a monthly pass for $20 from the bus driver or at the TAPS Park-N-Ride in Sherman.
The Storm Route bus will pick up and drop off passengers in front of the Glen D. Johnson Student Union.
In Sherman the pick up point is TAPS Park-N-Ride, 6104 Texoma Parkway.
The bus will then stop at the Denison Park-N-Ride located at the south end of the Dollar General Shopping Center, 2300 W. Morton St. at Vick Lane, in Denison before continuing on to Southeastern.
According to goredriver.com, the Texas Department of Transportation funded most of the $1.8 million, three-year project.
According to a press release from goredriver.com, this is the first time public transit agencies have teamed up across state lines to provide transportation for commuters and citizens without reliable transportation.
While the Storm Route is the only service that takes students and employees from Southeastern to Denison and Sherman, there are other options for students trying to get home for weekends and holidays.
For students interested in other forms of transportation the closest Amtrak train station is 60 miles away in Ardmore.
In Durant, there is the Greyhound bus that picks up and drops off passengers at the Stop N Buy on Main Street next to Jack in the Box. Station hours are 6 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. seven days a week and holidays.
According to greyhound.com, Greyhound offers a student discount card for $20 plus shipping and handling, that gives students a 20 percent savings on tickets and 40 percent savings on package shipping sent through Greyhound PackageXpress.
The card also gives discounts for other retailers. The card can be purchased at Greyhound terminals or online. The website has a promotion code, GRY48L9002, for the student discount card.
On Greyhound a standard fare, one-way ticket to Oklahoma City costs $46. Greyhound.com has a complete listing of various discounts offered.
For people wanting to head south down to Dallas, a standard one-way ticket is $33. For more information on schedules and prices visit www.greyhound.com.
Staff photo by Stacy Hutto
The Storm Route bus waits in front of the Glen D. Johnson Student Union for passengers.
Courtesy photo from TAPS
Storm Route buses have Wi-Fi on board so commuters are able to work or play on the way to their destination. People who have smart phones with QR code capabilities are able to scan the side of the bus for route information.