Catch a ride on the newest Aggie Shuttles
Students at Utah State University who regularly ride and take advantage of public transportation may have noticed the newest additions to the Aggie Shuttle fleet.
This year, USU Parking & Transportation welcomed two brand-new Gillig shuttles ready for students to use.
These new Aggie Shuttles are an improvement from the current shuttles in many ways.
“First and foremost, it will better serve our individuals who need passenger assistance,” said Dave Compton, the shuttle operations supervisor. “These buses will kneel, so it’s a shorter step to get on the vehicle. They also have a ramp rather than a wheelchair lift.”
The upgrade is the first of many to come.
“We’ve got a plan scheduled to replace two shuttles for the next two or three years in a row to try to update our fleet a little bit,” said Tracy Hulse, the Parking & Transportation director.
Parking & Transportation currently has 12 large shuttles. Some of these shuttles date back to 2014 and experience mechanical issues.
“We did our due diligence in researching different makes and models,” Hulse said. “We are confident that there’s going to be a lot less mechanical issues.”
In addition to fewer mechanical errors, the new shuttle buses should last around 20-30 years, compared to the older shuttles that last around 10 years.
Each new bus costs $597,000 — a drastic change from 2018 when shuttles were $225,000 apiece.
“Yes, they were more expensive,” Hulse said. “But I really believe they’re going to be a better option and more comfortable for the students to ride.”
Parking & Transportation is an auxiliary with the university, meaning they do not receive any money from the university to operate; however, student fees are used to maintain the shuttles.
“We do receive student fees for the shuttle, and that’s the only money that we get from the university,” Hulse explained. “Those student fees strictly go towards the upkeep of those buses and the purchase of new ones. The money doesn’t go to salaries or anything like that.”
According to USU’s webpage, students pay $19.52 for the Aggie Shuttle in their student fees.
Last year, the shuttle’s total ridership was just shy of one million, with an average of 8,000 riders a day.
“We have 12 large shuttles and two mini buses,” Compton said. “Currently, we will have six day routes with the large buses and one day route with the minibus.”
In addition to last year’s routes, Parking & Transportation also added a Water Lab route that shuttles students to the mouth of Logan Canyon and near First Dam.
“We are always trying to improve our system and give our students the best bang for their buck,” Compton explained. “Our goal is to is to make our systems the most efficient in the state, and we’re working really hard to reach that goal.”