Destene Savariau – News Writer
The shuttle service is a resource that helps students get around campus, even if a student is injured and has trouble doing so on their own.
The three shuttle routes, “Hoot Routes,” run throughout campus for student leisure are on-campus, Union Station, and chartered shuttle. The three on-campus shuttles are the full campus, Wintergreen Avenue Garage Express, and the life-equipped shuttle route.
According to the shuttle website, the full campus route was designed to provide safe and reliable service to and from all residential and academic buildings and parking lots.
“The full campus shuttle service is really helpful. It’s great for when I don’t feel like walking to class and it is so convenient that it comes every 20 minutes or so,” said marketing major Alexandra Mickens, a junior.
The full campus route runs every 20 minutes from these stops: Morrill Hall, Pelz Gym, Fitch Street Garage, Davis Hall, North Campus Midrise, lots 9, 8, 3, and 4, Wilkinson Hall, Engleman/School of Business, Lyman Center and the Adanti Student Center.
The Wintergreen Avenue garage express route on-campus runs every 10 minutes on a continuous loop from Wintergreen Garage to Engleman Hall A-Wing.
“The Wintergreen shuttle is great because it takes me directly to the Wintergreen Garage, where I usually park. It is helpful that it comes every 10 minutes and always waits at Morrill Hall until the next bus arrives. So, there is always one bus on the road,” said psychology major Antonio Gonzales, a senior.
Life-equipped route is a special shuttle for students. The shuttle is accessible via vans equipped with wheelchair lifts.
According to the shuttle’s website, the lift-equipped shuttle is for passengers with temporary or permanent disabilities. Passengers with permanent disabilities must register through the Center for Academic Success and Accessibility Services, CASAS, and passengers with temporary disabilities must have a valid doctor’s note to use this service.
“When I broke my leg, the lift-equipped shuttle made it easy for me to get around campus and all I had to do was call and request it from CASAS,” said biology major Felicity Keyworth, a junior.
All routes run Monday to Thursday, 7:30 am to 11:00 pm, and Fridays 7:30 am to 1:00 pm. Any person can download the app “Live Shuttle Bus Tracker” to track any of these shuttles or call the dispatch services to send a shuttle to your location.
The Union Station shuttle is one of the university’s off-campus Hoot Routes. The shuttle will pick up and drop off passengers outside Union Station and at the campus shuttle stop outside Morrill and Jennings halls, Main Lot – P2. The service runs Monday to Thursday from 7:15 am to 9:00 pm and Fridays from 7:15 am to 5:00 pm. The shuttle’s last departure is from Morrill Hall.
The chartered shuttle service can only utilize group transportation reservations. Thanks to the university’s contract with First Transit, it is used for “official university business,” in-state travel only. Some examples of chartered shuttle service may include transporting students to/from the airport, to/from a field trip location or to and from an athletic event.
