Because of a cooperative effort between Starkville and Mississippi State University, many changes have been made on the shuttle routes to improve transportation for students and the citizens of Starkville.
“Our hub of action is the Cullis Wade Depot,” transportation services manager Everett Kennard said.
The brand new structure has now become the location where each shuttle starts off its route. Kennard said just about all the shuttle routes have changed because of the Cullis Wade Depot. There are five on-campus routes, and two additional buses that move off-campus as well.
Each on-campus bus route has been changed in some way. The Express Route has taken on a second bus because of the large number of students who ride this particular route, Kennard said.
The Express Route makes stops at the architecture building, The Hump, Butler Hall, Ruby Hall and The Union area. Each stop lasts four and a half to five minutes, and the buses complete the entire route in nine minutes. Kennard said a bus will be at each stop every eight and a half minutes.
The Maroon Route consists of two buses and takes 16 minutes to complete its loop. This route makes stops at the architecture building, Aiken Village, The Hump, the Sanderson Center, Bryce Griffis Hall and the Perry Cafeteria.
The Gray Route consists of three buses and takes 11 minutes to complete its loop. The buses make stops at Fraternity Row, Sorority Row, Thompson Hall and Allen Hall.
Allen Hall was not one of the stops in the past, Kennard said. He also said there is a bus at each stop every four to five minutes.
The Green Route was reduced to only one bus because its other bus transferred to the Express Route, Kennard said. The Green Route makes stops at Weiss, Allen and Dorman, and takes nine minutes to complete its loop.
The Blue Route consists of one bus and makes its round every 15 minutes. Its only two stops are the research park and the post office area.
Two off-campus shuttle routes have conveniently been added to the transportation system.
Kennard said the North Route makes stops at the Longest Student Health Center, Jackson Street, Critz Street and North Montgomery Street.
“We designed this route mainly for students living in the Cotton District,” he said.
Also new to the transportation system is the concept of “flag and ride.” Kennard explained the process: if a student sees a shuttle, all he or she has to do is wave and the bus driver will stop.
Sophomore biomedical engineering major Kristin Geer likes the new system.
“This is going to be much more convenient because students living off campus can now take the shuttle to and from school,” Geer said.
Geer also said parking spaces on campus will be easier to find because many people won’t need to drive their cars to school.
The South Route makes stops and Southern Family Market, Louisville Street, Lynn Lane, Industrial Park Road, Kroger Shopping Center, Wal-Mart and the Lakeside Properties, Kennard said.
Sophomore aerospace engineering major Matt Turnowicz said the new routes will save him money.
“I think this is a positive change because we won’t have to waste our gas to go to Wal-Mart and get food.”
He also said that he thinks these changes may lead to less traffic on campus. Turnowicz parks in the Coliseum parking zone every day and takes the Express Route to class.
Kennard said transportation services is not hesitant to change the routes according to student needs.
“We want to move the way students want us to,” Kennard said. “We are trying to find where the ridership is, then we can move from there.”