| Oxford-University Transit | |
|---|---|
 | |
 An OUT bus stop on the campus of theUniversity of Mississippi | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Oxford, Mississippi |
| Transit type | Transit bus,paratransit |
| Annual ridership | 758,480 (2024)[1] |
| Website | Official website |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | October 20, 2008[2] |
| Operator(s) | RATP Dev[3] |
Oxford-University Transit (OUT) is apublic transit system based in the city ofOxford in the U.S. state ofMississippi. Included in its service area is theUniversity of Mississippi, the state's largest university by enrollment. The system was established in 2008 and provides fixed route bus service as well asparatransit service.
The service's annual ridership peaked in 2018, when it reached nearly 1.4 million annual unlinked trips per theFederal Transit Administration.[4] Since theCOVID-19 pandemic, ridership rates have taken a hit and have not returned to their pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, OUT served 758,480 riders.[1]
Oxford mayor Richard Howorth was among the biggest proponents for bringing a public transit system to the area, despite pushback stemming from Oxford's small population. The University of Mississippi's willingness to partner with the city on the development of OUT helped show the feasibility of the plan, along with the hiring of city planner Tim Akers, who helped developJackson Transit System. The system was named Lafayette-Oxford-University Transit, or LOU Transit,[5] and plans were authorized at a March 2008 Oxford Board of Aldermen meeting to purchase six transit buses on state contract, withMississippi Department of Transportation expect to pay for eighty percent of the cost while the city, county, and university would split the remaining twenty percent.[6]
Shortly after the initial proposal,Lafayette County pulled out of the agreement. Despite the setback, both the city and university agreed to continue developing the transit system, working with transit contractorMcDonald Transit Associates.[7] The new Oxford-University Transit named was first coined at a May 6, 2008, board meeting.[8] By July, Mayor Howorth claimed that the OUT system would be ready by October 1 of that year, with a management contract plan with McDonald Transit Associates officially approved.[9] An interlocal agreement between theUniversity of Mississippi and the city of Oxford was signed in August 2008.[10]
The service's buses arrived in September 2008.[11] Later that month, it was announced that OUT would be officially launched on October 20, 2008, with an opening ceremony on October 17. Two routes were announced: the blue route, an east-west line, and the red route, a north-south line. Riders would not be charged fares for the remainder of the year as the system was unveiled.[12]
The service, whichThe Clarion-Ledger dubbed "five years in the making," launched without issue on October 20, 2008, with buses running from 6:20 a.m. to 7 p.m. along the aforementioned two routes. The system, supplemented by federal and MDOT grant money, cost both the city and the university about $80,000 to unveil. Officials believed that at the start of the new year, riders would be charged a $1 fare for each ride, while students and individuals under 18 or over 65 paying 75 cents. Shortly before the launch, the system also announced that it would be purchasing anAmericans with Disabilities Act-compliantparatransit vehicle, designed to accommodate individuals with disabilities with on-demand response.[2]
Two months after the service's launch, the OUT governing board voted to keep OUT free for all riders until October 2009.[13]
On December 5, 2013, a maintenance and operations facility for OUT, named after Howorth, was opened.Mike Tagert, a member of theMississippi Transportation Commission representing the North District, called OUT "one of the benchmark public transit systems in (the) state" during the unveiling.[14]
In January 2016, OUT began operating a late-night route for students on Thursdays and Saturdays, dubbed the "Safe Ride" route.[15] Previously, Safe Ride was developed by UM students during the 2013–14 school year in an effort to combat drunk driving.[16] City and university officials believed that providing a regular route with financial backing would increase ridership.[15] In September that year, the OUT commission voted to wrap buses in navy blue vinyl with UM and Oxford city branding.[17]
In August 2019, OUT purchased five buses fromBritish Columbia-basedGrande West to help serve its university routes, while also announcing free WiFi availability on all buses by that fall as well.[18]
In January 2020, OUT moved stations along its Silver line into its Green and Old Taylor Road Express lines, while moving one bus each from its Rebel Red and Rebel Blue lines to its Red North and Blue West lines.[19]
After the COVID-19 pandemic, fares for non-students and UM faculty members were dropped, making the service free for all riders.[5] In the lead-up to the 2024 school year, OUT announced it would operate buses on Sunday to accommodate the university's largest-ever freshman class, many of whom had to live off-campus.[20]
