Slidr Team
In October 2023, the University of North Alabama launched Roar Ride, a fixed-route and on-demand electric shuttle program run by Slidr.
On October 1, 2023, the University of North Alabama launched Roar Ride, a dual-mode electric shuttle program in Florence, Alabama, run by Slidr. It combined a fixed campus route during the day with on-demand rides that students requested in the app, using Tesla vehicles.
Why UNA wanted a shuttle
UNA wanted to give students safe, reliable campus transportation, especially during evening hours and between remote parking areas. The university had no internal transit expertise or infrastructure, and it wanted to reduce car dependence with a sustainable alternative. Evening safety was a particular concern for students walking between residence halls, academic buildings and remote lots after dark.
How Roar Ride worked
Slidr launched Roar Ride with 3 Tesla vehicles: 1 on a fixed route and 2 on demand. The fixed route ran Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 5 PM. On-demand rides ran Monday through Friday from 4 PM to 9 PM and on Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM. Slidr handled the operations, so university staff did not have to run another transportation program.
The mid-year shift to on-demand
First-semester data showed higher demand for flexible rides than for the fixed route. For the second semester, Slidr moved from 1 fixed-route vehicle and 2 on demand to 1 fixed-route vehicle and 3 on demand, and expanded Saturday coverage. Ridership doubled in the second semester.
Results over the academic year
Over the academic year, Roar Ride served 8,448 total riders across nearly 3,000 on-demand rides and 3,800+ fixed-route boardings. Its 45% shared-ride rate was the highest across all Slidr deployments, and all 9,313 miles were driven on electric power.
Kendra, Head of Facilities at the University of North Alabama, put it simply: “Slidr solved a problem we’d been struggling with for years. It just works, and the students genuinely rely on it now.”
Launch coverage
WAFF 48 News and WHNT News 19 covered the launch in October 2023, and UNA announced it in its pressroom. The student newspaper, The Flor-Ala, covered Slidr replacing the campus bus system.
What other universities can take from Roar Ride
Start with a sensible model and let the data adjust it. Roar Ride launched with a mix of fixed-route and on-demand service, and its first semester showed that students wanted more flexible rides. Shifting capacity toward on-demand service doubled ridership.
Universities considering a program of their own can read the full UNA case study.
