After she and her husband had commuted more than 160 miles a day – and spent more than $600 a month on gas – Paola Chernosky saw a need for change.The Fort Worth Transportation Authority provided an answer.

Chernosky, an administrative assistant in the office of admissions, lives 40 miles south of Fort Worth in Grandview. She used to spend 50 minutes commuting by car to campus; she now spends just over an hour but has cut her family’s monthly gas usage in half.

By driving 20 minutes to Burleson’s South Park & Ride Lot, Chernosky is able to catch a coach bus that takes her to downtown Fort Worth, where she then rides the No. 7 bus to TCU. Her total commute – just 20 minutes longer than what she would spend in her car.

Preventing further wear and tear on her car and saving money on gas were the main reasons Chernosky said she decided to make some changes to her commute.

All of this was made possible by the T, Fort Worth’s public transportation system, which also operates the bus route running from Worth Hills to Main Campus.

In August, the T announced that TCU students, faculty and staff would be able to ride any T bus or Trinity Railway Express, which is jointly owned by the T and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, free of charge by showing a valid TCU ID.

Chernosky was able to cut costs even more by being able to ride the T for free. Her daily commuting routine began in March before the T’s announcement of the free service, which the company provides free of charge to TCU.

The T approached TCU last summer with the offer, said Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs, and more service may be in store.

A new express service is in the process of being worked out, Mills said. A shuttle service would be offered throughout the week from campus to Hulen Mall, and three nights a week there would be a shuttle running from campus downtown until 2:30 a.m., Mills said.

“One of the challenges for the T is providing direct routes to places students want to go,” Mills said. “They are interested in increasing ridership and awareness of how the T can be of service to the city. It’s a question of finding the dollars to do it.”

There would be no additional charge to students if the express shuttle services were to be implemented, Mills said. TCU would shoulder the cost, which is estimated at in excess of $100,000, Mills said.

Justin Knox, a junior business major, said any alternatives in getting around are beneficial with the increase in gas prices. Knox also said a shuttle downtown would be a good idea because of the issue of drinking and driving.

“Think about all the drunk people,” Knox said. “It would be a good way to eliminate some of that risk.”

Knox said administrators are aware of the problem of drinking and driving in college, and ignoring it doesn’t solve the problem.

Kevin Gates, a sophomore biology major, said he would benefit from both shuttles if they were put in place. Gates, who doesn’t have a car on campus, said he usually takes the TRE to the CentrePort station, where a shuttle then runs to DFW. Gates said a shuttle downtown would make his commute to the airport much easier.

He said both shuttles would help alleviate the issue of depending on friends to drive him places.

Chloe Baker, a freshman premajor, said that although she has a car and would most likely not use the service, she thought the service is a good idea and something that students would use.

“There are people who want to go to those places but don’t have a way of getting there,” Baker said.

Chernosky, who is also a student at Tarrant County College, said one of the T’s main weaknesses is the lack of publicity, and the only advertising she has seen is on the side of buses or on the news.

There was a day during the summer when the T provided free rides to the public; however, Chernosky said because of poor advertising, no one knew about the offer.

The T needs more routes because not only is the population of Fort Worth rapidly growing, but also students want the freedom to just pick up and go wherever they want, Chernosky said.

The service is still something Chernosky said she encourages more people to take advantage of. She said when she tells people she rides the T, a common response is, “You’re riding with those people?”

“I’m one of those people,” Chernosky said. “It gets me to and from where I need to be. It’s nice to read and catch up on my homework.”

The University of Texas at Arlington does not have the same system arranged with the T, and officials for the T say the main reason is because Arlington is not within its service area.

Students, faculty and staff at SMU may show their IDs to ride any DART bus or light rail for free.

In order to alleviate the peak rush hour and to add additional service in response to rider feedback, schedules on the TRE were “tweaked,” said Joan Hunter, communications manager for the T, and by adjusting schedule times, the TRE avoided adding new train cars.

An early-morning, mid-morning and late-night train from Dallas was added along with a mid-morning train from Fort Worth to Dallas and a late-night train from Fort Worth to CentrePort. One of the two trains from Fort Worth that usually stopped in the CentrePort station, where passengers would then have to switch trains, has now become a direct route.

Hunter said ridership was up by 10 percent overall and 18 percent in Tarrant County. Ridership increased again by 13 percent overall in September. Riders want to see more rail, regional and rapid service, Hunter said.

The increase in gas prices has contributed to the jump in ridership, Hunter said, and even if prices were to go down, people would continue to use the service.

Chernosky said the TRE service is easy and helps alleviate traffic and congestion.

“If it’s raining outside, I don’t have to be in the gridlock,” she said.

Ruth Boward, senior transportation planner at the North Central Texas Council of Governments, said mass transportation allows people the freedom to travel without the hassle of traffic.

“It’s timely, reliable and you can do other things as a passenger,” Boward said.