In an effort to cope with the rising cost of maintaining the shuttle system without transferring expenses to students, MSU officials have redesigned the campus shuttle routes to include fewer stops, fewer buses and a new central hub. The shuttle system, which included eight buses last year, now operates with five. It also reduced the stops on each route to two or three primary areas.
MSU Dean of students Mike White said the shuttles get from one destination to another quicker when there aren’t as many stops.
“With fewer buses and direct routes, we’re more efficient, and I think students will [be able to] adjust their schedules,” he said.
The new system also includes the creation of a central hub at Montgomery Hall located near the center of campus. White said once construction in the area is finished, the Montgomery Hall hub will be improved into a formal shuttle hub.
Last year the shuttles transported nearly 600,000 riders throughout campus. The buses averaged nearly 3,000 passengers every day.
Mike Harris, director of parking services, said he expects that with fewer shuttles, the buses will average between 2,000 and 2,400 passengers per day.
Harris said officials also hope fewer shuttle stops will not slow the routes despite fewer buses.
“We’ve taken the routes and consolidated the stops to where we have made it as efficient and effective as we can with [fewer buses],” he said. “If we ran the same routes we did last year it would be an hour-long route. Nobody’s going to wait an hour for a bus. We’ve tried to make 20-30 minute routes. Students should expect a bus every seven to 10 minutes for the Coliseum and fraternity/sorority routes.”
White said students might need to change their habits concerning their use of the shuttle system.
“We’re trying to provide a system that will transport students from the outlying areas onto the campus,” White said. “If you’re living in [a residence hall], you’re already on campus.”
Reactions to the new shuttle system have been mixed as students learn about the new shuttle routes.
Sophomore physical therapy major Sarah Spring said the buses seem slower than they were last year.
“I was late for both my Tuesday and Thursday classes because of the shuttles,” she said.
Junior management of construction and land development major Jonathan White said he preferred last year’s shuttle system.
“I don’t like it as much as last year,” he said. “It takes longer to get to class and [the shuttles] don’t go to as many places.”
The new system has already been adjusted due to student feedback, Harris said. Students suggested extending the hours of two buses from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to accommodate students with late afternoon classes. The two-hour extension went into effect Monday.
The shuttle system has changed every year since it began in 1996, Harris said.
“We will continue to tweak and adjust to the changing infrastructure of campus,” he said.
White said although the campus shuttles can be rented on the weekends, the system must stay within its budget. The campus shuttle system is estimated to cost more than $300,000 this year, he said.
Despite the rising cost of the shuttle system, the university has avoided transferring the cost of the shuttles to students. Many other universities use bus passes for shuttles, but there is the problem of charging students, White said. MSU might ultimately adopt a bus pass system, but there are currently no plans for it.
Charging students to ride the shuttles would only be considered if students initiated the move, he said.
“We’ve raised [many costs in the last year] but we don’t want to burden [them anymore] than they already are,” White said.