In October 2023, the University of North Alabama launched Roar Ride, an on-demand and fixed-route electric transportation service powered by Slidr. The program represents a significant investment in student mobility, campus sustainability, and community connectivity for UNA's 7,000-plus students across its Florence, Alabama campus and the surrounding community.
Roar Ride is more than a shuttle service. It is a comprehensive transportation solution designed in partnership with UNA's Student Government Association, university administration, and Slidr's campus operations team. The program provides both scheduled fixed routes connecting key campus destinations and on-demand service that students can request through the Slidr app, giving the UNA community flexible, eco-friendly transportation options that operate on their schedule.
How Roar Ride Works
The service operates on a dual-mode model that combines the predictability of fixed routes with the flexibility of on-demand rides. During peak class hours, electric vehicles run fixed routes connecting residence halls, academic buildings, the student union, recreation facilities, and parking areas. Outside of peak hours and during evenings, the service shifts to on-demand mode, allowing students to request rides through the Slidr app from anywhere within the service area.
The Slidr app provides UNA students with real-time vehicle tracking, estimated arrival times, and the ability to request rides with a few taps. No cash is needed. No phone calls to a dispatch line. The experience mirrors the on-demand transportation that students use in their personal lives but is free, safe, and branded to UNA.
- Fixed routes: Scheduled service during peak academic hours connecting key campus locations
- On-demand rides: App-based pickup requests available during evening and off-peak hours
- Service area: UNA campus and surrounding Florence community destinations
- Cost to students: Free, funded through the university partnership
- Fleet: Electric vehicles operated by trained, background-checked drivers
The SGA Partnership
Roar Ride emerged from a collaborative process between Slidr and UNA's Student Government Association. SGA leaders identified transportation as a persistent pain point for students, particularly those living off campus, those without personal vehicles, and those who felt unsafe walking across campus after dark. The SGA advocated for a solution that would be free to students, environmentally responsible, and genuinely convenient.
The partnership model ensures that student voices remain central to how the service operates and evolves. SGA representatives participate in service reviews, provide feedback on routes and hours, and help promote the program to the student body. This is not a top-down administrative initiative. It is a student-driven transportation solution that the university and Slidr have enabled.
Serving the Florence Community
One of the distinctive features of Roar Ride is its service area, which extends beyond the campus boundaries into the Florence community. UNA students can use the service to reach restaurants, shopping, and services in downtown Florence and surrounding areas. This connectivity benefits both students, who gain access to the broader community without needing a car, and local businesses, who see increased foot traffic from the university population.
As reported by WAFF 48 News in their coverage of the launch, the program was designed to bridge the gap between campus and community, recognizing that student life does not stop at the university gates. The Flor-Ala, UNA's student newspaper, also covered the launch extensively, highlighting student enthusiasm for a service that eliminates the need to search for parking downtown or rely on friends for rides.
Florence is a city where many daily destinations are within a few miles of campus but just beyond comfortable walking distance. Roar Ride fills that gap with clean, electric transportation that makes the entire community more accessible to UNA students.
Sustainability and Campus Goals
UNA has made public commitments to sustainability, and Roar Ride directly supports those goals. Every ride taken on the electric fleet is a ride not taken in a personal gasoline-powered vehicle. For a campus of 7,000-plus students, the aggregate impact on emissions reduction is meaningful.
The electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, operate quietly, and have a minimal physical footprint on campus. They complement UNA's other sustainability initiatives, including campus recycling programs, energy-efficient building upgrades, and green space preservation. For prospective students and their families who evaluate a university's environmental commitment, Roar Ride is a visible, tangible demonstration of UNA's values.
The University of North Alabama's commitment to providing sustainable, accessible transportation through Roar Ride sets an example for universities of similar size across the Southeast.
Safety as a Core Feature
Campus safety is a primary driver of the Roar Ride program. UNA's campus, like many universities, has areas that students prefer not to walk through after dark. The on-demand evening service provides a safe, reliable alternative. Students can request a ride from the library to their residence hall, from a campus event to the parking lot, or from an off-campus location back to campus, all without walking alone at night.
All Slidr drivers undergo comprehensive background checks, vehicle safety inspections, and customer service training specific to the university environment. The app-based system creates a digital record of every ride, providing accountability and traceability. UNA campus security has visibility into the system, allowing coordination between the transportation service and existing safety infrastructure.
Early Results and Student Response
Initial ridership data from the first weeks of Roar Ride exceeded projections. Student adoption of the Slidr app was rapid, driven by SGA promotion, social media, and word of mouth. The most common use cases in the early period included rides between residence halls and academic buildings during inclement weather, evening rides from the library and student union, and weekend trips to Florence dining and entertainment destinations.
Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The convenience of on-demand service, the reliability of the fixed routes, and the fact that the service is completely free have all been cited as highlights. Several students noted that Roar Ride changed their daily routine, allowing them to leave their car parked and use the electric shuttle for most campus and near-campus trips.
A Model for Mid-Size Universities
UNA's Roar Ride program is particularly notable because it demonstrates that managed electric transportation is not only viable at large flagship universities with massive budgets. UNA, with its enrollment of approximately 7,000 students, represents the mid-size university segment where transportation needs are real but resources are constrained. The Slidr partnership model makes it possible to deliver a high-quality, technology-enabled service at a scale and cost that works for institutions of this size.
For other mid-size universities evaluating campus transportation options, Roar Ride offers a proof point. The program shows that student demand exists, that the SGA partnership model drives adoption, that the technology works in a smaller campus context, and that the sustainability benefits are meaningful regardless of enrollment size. Slidr is actively working with universities across the country to replicate this model, tailored to each campus's unique geography, student body, and institutional goals.
