Shuttle bus changes still confuse students

By: David Thill/ Student Government Editor

Posted: 8/29/05

Shuttle stops on campus will soon be clearly marked to ensure students don't miss the bus.

Confusion concerning the times and places at which the shuttle bus stops resulted in changes during last Tuesday's Student Senate Shuttle Bus Committee meeting.

Students have been having trouble with changes made to the bus route and schedule earlier this year, as reported in the Aug. 23 edition of The Daily Eastern News.

In an effort to alleviate some of the problems, plans for new, clearer signs have been given to a local design shop, said Jillian Ruddy, vice president for business affairs and last year's chair of the shuttle bus committee.

"The problem shouldn't happen again," Ruddy said. "I think it's just the beginning of the year."

All residence halls now have a packet that contains the new stops and times for the bus, she said.

However, the packet still hasn't helped some students.

Derek Gambro, a freshman business major in Carman Hall, said the schedule is still too confusing.

"Some kid had to walk to Wal-Mart because the bus never came," Gambro said.

Despite the availability of schedules at the front desk of the residence halls, students still find inconvenience in the system.

"The guy at the front desk was like 'it goes over here, then over here, then back here,'" said Pat Drewke, a freshman business major in Carman Hall. "I just walked."

In fact, Drewke and Gambro don't even ride the shuttle. Not because of the confusion in schedule, but because it doesn't go to enough locations.

Drewke said he would ride the shuttle if it ran to more locations than just class or Wal-Mart.

"It should go around town," Drewke said. "It's too hot and too far to walk around town."

Another problem Gambro and Drewke said they had with the shuttle is its inconsistency with drop-off and pick-up locations.

"It should pick up closer to Carman (Hall)," Drewke said. "It drops you off right here, it should pick up here, too."