Shuttle woes leave students standing in the cold
Cold weather and more traffic on central campus are causing problems for Aggie shuttle buses and their schedules – and students are
noticing.
“I don’t take the shuttle to class because it never got me there on time and I was late,” said undeclared sophomore Jennifer Rigby. “I only use the shuttle bus if it doesn’t matter what time I get somewhere.”
Rigby said the buses are too crowded and don’t come at regular intervals – sometimes the two buses come at spread-out times, other times they come one right after another. Both problems create situations, Rigby said, that make her not want to ride the bus.
Patrick Douglass, a freshman majoring in computer science, said, “I think the system is a little inefficient, because sometimes you’ll get two buses right next to each other, and other times one bus will come and the next will be 20 minutes behind. They need to be spaced out better.”
Many students have expressed frustration with the infrequency and inconsistency of the Aggie shuttles and feel that the system runs differently from last semester.
Justin Rees, an intern at the Utah State University Transportation Department, and a former Aggie shuttle driver, said, “The routes are not different [this semester], but the weather is. With the snow being the way it is, there are more people driving to school creating more traffic, and it is hard for the buses to keep their schedule.”
Rees said the only changes that have been made this semester deal with the way passengers are counted. Handheld computers are now used to document bus loads rather than by hand, as was done in the past.
Students have also complained about the doors on the bus not operating right. Many of the back doors won’t open, or once opened won’t shut, which Rigby said is “really inconvenient because people are trying to get off as others come on.”
Rees said the malfunctioning doors have to do with the weather as well.
“The cold has played a major factor on these buses. For some reason, water gets trapped in the air lines; those air hoses control the doors. They won’t open or sometimes won’t close back up,” Rees said. “The ones in the front always work.”
While no changes have been made to the system this semester, changes were made at the beginning of the school year to make the Aggie shuttle more effective.
“Every summer we sit down with [shuttle supervisor] Alden [Erickson] and the chief of police, and evaluate how things have gone, and modify the routes accordingly,” said Lisa Leishman, USU director of transportation. “Whether we need to add stops or take away stops, we assess the whole system.
Last year, Leishman said, complaints were made about the south campus shuttle route and how long it took for that bus to arrive. The route had traveled to the stadium, but changes were made and the route was put on a timed schedule.
What needs to happen, Rigby said, is for more buses be put into service, especially in the morning, and they need to be at spaced intervals.
Rees said he hopes the new method of counting passengers will aid planners in setting routes and assigning buses.
“Passenger counts take place at every stop on every bus,” Leishman said. “That info comes back to me, goes into the computer and shows how many people are being picked up, categorized by hour, route bus, month, day, week. This helps us to see if there need to be more buses.”
Leishman said there is talk of adding another bus to the south campus route.
Despite complaints, Leishman said she feels the Aggie shuttle provides a much-needed service for USU.
“Aggie shuttle is by far the most positive aspect of the USU transportation system,” Leishman said. “It transports thousands of students every day. It is convenient, safe and environmentally friendly.”
The shuttle system has been around for more than a decade, and although it started to transport primarily those students living on campus, it has evolved to meet the needs of more students.
Ideally, Leishman said, students should expect a campus route bus to come every seven to 10 minutes, and the south campus bus to come every 15 minutes. Stadium and 800 East buses can be expected almost every five minutes. However, between the peak hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., students should expect some delays.
Rees said that if students expect to be at a stop only 10 minutes before their class starts they may be disappointed. However, being there 20 minutes before class will almost guarantee they will get there on time. Rees also said that students can help by moving all the way to the back of the bus and taking off their backpacks.
For more information about the routes and quick tips for using the shuttle system, visit the USU transportation Web site at www.usu.edu/parking.
-bnelson@cc.usu.edu