Julia Guerrero 
EDINBURG– A miscommunication over the Weslaco to Brownsville Vaquero Express connector caused major confusion for UTRGV commuters in mid-August. Within the first week of services, the UTRGV Transportation department said it had seen several issues arise.
Many students voiced their concerns with the assumed cancellation of the Weslaco to Brownsville connector but the director for Transportation Services, Maribel Contreras, said it was all miscommunication.
During the summer, Parking and Transportation Services held public meetings to discuss the proposed changes for the Vaquero Express and Volt services.
Contreras said the department covered the changes to the Weslaco to Brownsville connector in the agenda.
“It was actually a transition of service from UTRGV providing the service to Valley Metro, now providing the service through an orange line,” said Contreras. “Of course, there were some gaps on the service where there was some students that had some concerns on the service. We are providing those gaps of service through our campus connector.”
The Vaquero Express is not the only transportation service that the university provides. Volt shuttle services are also available for the UTRGV community to get around campus. Contreras said there are parking lots such as zone one on the Edinburg campus that do not always get utilized. She encouraged students to use zone one parking and use Volt services to travel to the main campus.
Some students such as fine arts senior, Robert Aguilar, viewed the free transportation services as being beneficial for students.
“I do think it’s beneficial for those who don’t have the patience or the means to go from campus to campus,” said Aguilar.
Updates to schedules and any service changes are provided through the department of Transportation through its website, social media and the UTRGV and Ride Systems apps. Students can view live tracking maps and schedules of the Vaquero express and Volt services.
