Shuttle-UM ridership has jumped by nearly 50 percent this year, largely because record-high area gas prices and changing housing options have prompted students and staff to rethink transportation options.

University Town Center, the newly completed housing complex in Hyattsville that houses about 900 area students, was a major factor in increasing ridership, said Transportation Services Director David Allen. But parking permit sales dropped off significantly as well, Allen said, signaling a move toward mass transit not seen in recent years.

“We had 10,000 riders the first day of classes,” he said. “That is an incredible number compared to first day of classes in previous years.”

That trend could be a welcome sign for city officials, who have long fretted over an increasing surge of traffic on Route 1, which now handles about 70,000 vehicles each day. A recent plan by local officials to take Shuttle-UM citywide was heralded as a solution to taking some cars off the road, though it was scrapped last month after liability concerns.

Before this school year, the overall number of students riding the buses had increased by about 8 percent, said David Davitaia, assistant director of Transportation Services.

University Commuter Association President Jahantab Siddiqui said this year’s 50 percent jump in usage may be due to the controversy surrounding the citywide Shuttle-UM plan.

“The publicity helped because a lot of students found out a lot about the bus system that a lot of people didn’t know about it,” Siddiqui said. “I think it’s becoming a more viable option simply because gas has gone up so much. Gas has gone up, parking permits have gone up and you see a lot of students moving closer to campus.”

The large number of riders on the University Town Center route added to the overall increase in students riding the bus, with almost 900 riders on the first day of classes, Allen said. The shuttle-riding students now living in the Towers at University Town Center would have been added to the commuter population, with most of them driving cars.

“In University Town Center, most of the students are from University of Maryland,” Allen said. “Now, a good number of commuters are going to University Town Center. They used to commute, now they have an option.”

The main reason more people are riding the shuttle more frequently is convenience, he said.

Commuter student Larry Cass Jr., a junior English literature major, rides the shuttle from Silver Spring every day to school.

“I’d much rather not drive,” Cass said. “I get here quicker. I don’t have to pay the whatever it is for a space and then worry about getting a space.”

Riding the bus is also an option for students who have a parking permit on the campus.

“I sometimes ride the bus as opposed to driving because it gives me time to relax in the morning,” said senior biochemistry major Omar Sillah. “If I want to catch up on some sleep, I’ll take the bus.”

The combination of students moving closer to the campus and administrators working to put more buses where students live contributes to the rising popularity, Allen said. Other than the route to University Town Center, the second- and third-most utilized routes go to University View and University Courtyards.

Bigger buses are also replacing smaller ones to accommodate more students, and eight buses have recently been replaced, Allen said. Siddiqui added that the Campus Transportation Advisory committee also voted in mid-May to add buses to some routes in order to increase frequency, although those changes won’t take effect until the next school year.

The price of gas also played a part in rider interest, Allen said. In his own office, once gas hit the $3 mark, people began coordinating carpools to combat the price.

Despite what could be expanded transportation options, many students still prefer to drive instead of taking the bus because the shuttle services are not as accessible to students who live in towns farther from College Park.

Senior elementary education major Alexa Way drives the sometimes hour-long commute from her home in Gaithersburg because public transportation isn’t a sensible option for her.

“If I wanted to take the Metro, I would have to drive all the way into D.C.,” Way said. “I would rather take the bus or something else because of the distance, the wear on the car and gas prices being so high, but nothing goes out that far.”

Contact reporter Kaitlyn Seith at seithdbk@gmail.com.