In a Southern state like Mississippi, it is difficult to comprehend the thought of not having a car at our convenience. Almost everyone drives. As many college students at Mississippi State University have already found out, however, driving directly to your destination is not always an option. Some students either walk from their dorms or, if they commute, park in assigned lots and walk the rest of the way.
It is important to address that, for some people, driving has never been an option. Dorm life is typically very accommodating for this group of people. Some apartment complexes, such as Aspen Heights and The Pointe-MSU, acknowledge these situations by providing a shuttle that transports their residents to campus every day. This opens the door for people unable to commute or to have a safe way to get to class without living on campus.
Parking is not as readily available as it was before new construction projects began on campus. Students now have to park farther away from their classes, leading many to consider other means of transportation. Currently, campus has specific stops and routes for the university shuttles. Other off-campus shuttles tried to steer clear of the university shuttles by letting residents off at other specific areas, crosswalks or stop signs. Recently, however, the MSU police issued citations to these off-campus shuttles for “obscuring traffic.” The Department of Parking and Transit Operations has decided to crack down on the shuttles and any other vessel that blocks the flow of traffic on campus. Apparently, even stopping at a crosswalk to let a friend out of a car is now considered traffic blockage by the MSU police.
The MSU police address this by issuing traffic citations and warnings. In the case of the shuttles, these apartment complexes received so many citations the closest drop off location for a student that has a class on the Drill Field is the Coliseum stop or the Scales Park and Ride stop. For someone living at The Pointe-MSU, this means a student that cannot drive due to either a disability or an injury is being put even further out of the way than if they walked the typical 15-20 minute trail. For a student in the same situation living at Aspen Heights, this student might very well have to get up an hour or so earlier than necessary to make it to an 8 a.m. class on the Drill Field, given they now have to catch two shuttles or walk from these newly assigned locations. This does not take into account problems associated with bad weather or shuttles running late.
Of course the Department of Parking and Transit Operations has rules and regulations to uphold, and the MSU police do their best to enforce them in order to ensure the safety of the students. However, all transportation options on and off campus are meant for the benefit of students. The shuttle fees for the residents of these complexes may be included in their rent rates. This new rule has caused some students to question the fairness and logic behind the regulation. A main topic of interest is whether or not a compromise can be made to get students who use off-campus shuttles closer to the Drill Field.
Technically, the off-campus shuttles only stop at crosswalks for the same amount of time the university shuttles do. Therefore, if stops were restricted, traffic jams might be reduced to keep helping these students. This keeps off-campus shuttles from stopping near every crosswalk and still benefits students.
It is possible that, if a consensus can be found, all shuttles could run to their full potential. If not, students will have to adapt to the new standards deemed to be the safest by the university. As of now, the main focus is on the efficiency of the SMART Shuttles. Jeremiah Dumas, the Director of Parking, Transit and Sustainability, emphasized how essential it is to maintain timeliness of shuttles, and he explained the reasoning behind the new regulations.
“The efficiency of our on-campus system is the primary focus of MSU Shuttle Operations. With daily traffic and with the numbers of shuttles we have on each route, it is imperative that we keep all other campus stops open for our own shuttles so that they can maneuver in traffic and efficiently transport our passengers. MSU shuttles only stop at designated and advertised stops,” he said.
Each student must now decide how to work around the new route changes.
