Aggie Shuttle struggles
Despite complications due to the extreme cold weather and a lack of funding, the Aggie Shuttle system has been doing everything in its power to help students, Alden Erickson, the shuttle supervisor, said.
Erickson said there are a total of eight buses in the fleet, but the severe cold snap and snowy conditions Logan has been experiencing for the past three weeks has caused many of the diesel buses to break down as they are stored outside and exposed to the weather.
“I’m just trying to do the best I can with the given situation,” Erickson said.
The shuttle mechanic is working his fastest, Erickson said, but the problem is recurring, with fewer buses to run the same amount of routes and pick up the 8,000 to 8,700 passengers who ride the Aggie Shuttle each day.
“I hate leaving students standing outside in the cold, so we’re doing the best we can right now,” Erickson said.
He said he has tried to aid the problem by renting buses from both the Logan Transit District (LTD) and the Cache County School District, but these groups have been experiencing the same problems due to the cold temperatures. Erickson said he has now begun using 15-passenger vans to make sure no students are left behind.
Casandra Winter, a sophomore majoring in interior design, said she took a yellow school bus home on Wednesday in place of the Stadium Express shuttle.
“I don’t care if I have to take a van or bus to school, but I just want it to be on time,” Winter said. “I don’t want this to affect my class schedule.”
Students who are not aware of the shuttle situation have been angry after being repeatedly left standing on the corner as full buses pass by, and being late to class once they do arrive on campus.
Laura Fischer, a senior special education major who usually rides the 8th East Express, said after having to walk home on Tuesday evening she does not understand why the shuttles are not doing more if they know why the buses aren’t working.
Erickson said a second problem with the shuttle service is the lack of funding. He said he approached the Student Fee Committee on Jan. 29 and is hopeful increased funding will be provided to open new routes and enhance the student service.
A million and one-half people ride the eight buses per year, with only $3.75 per semester per student coming from the tuition fees, Erickson said.
“We’re running on a shoestring budget,” he said.
Several of the Aggie Shuttles are older, Erickson said, which was made evident Tuesday evening when an 8th East Express bus caught fire.
He said the particular shuttle bus had an older engine which gave out, causing the pistons to freeze, cracking the engine block, and flames to emerge from the bus. The passengers on the bus were evacuated and no one was hurt.
“Everything wears out sometime, and yesterday happened to be the day for this bus,” he said.
According to the results of a survey, conducted for the graduating seniors at USU last year, Erickson said, the shuttle system was ranked No. 3 after police, as the third “most necessary non-academic resource.”
Erickson said the Aggie Shuttle system is awaiting the decision of the Student Fee Committee on whether the funding will be increased, but in the meantime, the shuttles will do their best at transporting as many passengers as possible.
Christian Redd, a junior liberal arts major, said he uses the shuttle system daily and is thankful for the 15-passenger vans he has recently ridden several times.
“I am very impressed with the shuttle system,” Redd said. “I think they are doing a great job with what they have.”
A Cache County School District bus picks up USU students Wednesday morning near the Romney Stadium. The bus is being rented for $30 an hour as a temporary measure to alleviate the loss of four shuttles. (Scott Davis )