[4] The Ryde provides (nearly) direct shuttles from most of the major off-campus (and one on-campus) housing areas to the center of the BYU campus (closer than any UTA stops).

)[14][15] Since at least 2002, BYU provided students (and often faculty and other employees) the opportunity for either free or substantially subsidized UTA bus passes of one form or another.

[27] SMI was founded earlier that year by two BYU seniors (Jake Luekenga and Kevin Smith) who believed there was a need for a more specialized service than UTA provided.

[30] As a result of this closure access to the Museum of Art stop for the shuttle coming from the southeast (King Henry) was no longer feasible, so its on-campus stop moved to a location immediately east of the Crabtree Technology Building on East Campus Drive (just southeast of the Wilkinson Student Center).

The end result of these changes was that The Ryde could continue picking up and dropping off students 1,000–1,500 feet (300–460 m) closer that any UTA stop (depending on the direction of approach to the campus).

By the fall of 2013, an additional route was added to serve the Wymount Terrace on-campus married student housing complex.

[Note 6] Primarily The Ryde transported the missionaries between the main MTC campus, the Provo Temple, and sometimes the Marriott Center.

However, since The Ryde does not operate during the spring and summer term, parking in all the student lots will still be free during that time of year.

The Ryde's shuttle service eliminates the time that many students spend parking and then walking to the various parts of campus.

[12][13][15] Early on plans for the free service included a continuation of the stop near The Lodges at Glenwood Apartments on Route 1.

[36][37] The route that served Wymount Terrace (which ran through 2014)[38] was also dropped from plans for The Ryde's free service (primarily due to low ridership).

In addition to the regular routes,[Note 7] The Ryde also provides "Saturday Grocery Runs" to Macey's in north Provo.