Blazer Express buses get a glow-up

A new fleet of Blazer Express buses has arrived on campus — sporting a new bright-green, Blazer-fied look, thanks to new wraps made possible through a partnership between UAB Transportation, Digital Strategy and Marketing and Athletics.

The new vehicles — 18 buses from Groome Transportation — are more than just a pretty face on campus. The new buses have a kneeling function, says Derrick Harper, Groome Transportation general manager, which enables them to lower the bus’s height by 3 inches to assist passengers with limited mobility. 

Four of the new Blazer Express buses also are more energy-efficient than their predecessors, Harper says, which aligns with UAB Sustainability’s strategic plan to reduce UAB’s carbon emissions from on-site fossil fuel combustion and fleet-fuel consumption and emissions that result from the generation of electricity, heat or steam, by 20% by 2025; the four buses are equipped with propane tanks, which are more energy-efficient.

“These buses are top-of-the-line vehicles that not only show off Blazer spirit, but UAB’s commitment to becoming a greener campus and providing new commuting options for students and employees,” Harper said.

Click through the slideshow below to see the wrapping process and get a first look at the new fleet.