Returning UT students crowd "The Drag"

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Thousands of University of Texas at Austin students are returning for Fall classes, bring congestion and cash into the area.

Traffic jams and crowded side walks are a common sight near campus, bit of a headache for drivers, but a big boost for many businesses.

"We have a lot of snacks, basically what our grocery shopping consists of," explained UT freshman Samantha Salcedo who hit up "The Drag" Saturday afternoon to shop.  "[We got] Gushers and chips and drinks."

Salcedo and her roommate, Anne Juarez, also brought a dolly with them to shop instead of a car.

"We have been getting a few looks, but good looks," Salcedo said.

Coming to "The Drag" is convenient for the two friends who didn't have to find a parking spot or fight traffic jams.

"We live right by here, so we just had to walk," explained Juarez.

Both freshman admitted facing twas frustrating, but business owners are reveled.

The more people walking by, the better their chances of making a sale, especially if you're a street vendor like Hai Tran.

Tran told KXAN his business is up 80 percent from just one month ago.

"In the summer, there are some students and they have one class but leave campus, go home, but in the Fall they hang around," said Tran.

Still, the almost 50,000 pounding campus pavement doesn't compare to what is coming in a couple weeks with football season.

Tran said football games have businesses making bank.

"It's incredible.  I'd say maybe a couple thousand people walk through here, so it is huge," Tran added.

With many students having turned out to buy textbooks things should calm down, but Juarez and Salcedo told KXAN, they expect "The Drag" always to be a "drag" when it comes to crowds and commuting either on foot or by car.

"I always knew Austin would be a crazy place, they always say keeping austin weird, and there is so much traffic all the time," Anne said.

UT Horn's will host their first home game September 11 meaning crowds will return.

Tran expects to make a couple thousand dollars that day.