As we all know, parking has become a big problem here on campus this year. The addition of the new All-Well Center has eliminated much of the free parking spots that were on campus to begin with. Now, commuters and residents who have cars on campus have to find different ways to leave their cars here. The parking shuffle has resulted in new complications in arising with the PSU shuttle route. Bus transportation on campus has not been the greatest to begin with, even in years past. Students would line up and wait for the shuttle for over the expected time of pick-up. This year, it’s been even worse because of the new parking arrangements. All students need to get to class on time. With the buses taking forever getting to the parking lots in the morning, you almost always have to run to class or get to the bus stop to catch an earlier shuttle. Almost no one knows the actual bus schedule on campus because it’s rarely on time anyways.
According to the Plymouth State University Shuttle Service information, the shuttles travel back to the P.E. Center every 15 minutes. The problem with that is mostly everyone on campus knows that 15 minutes means 15 more on top of that. The most annoying time of the year we have to wait for the shuttle is wintertime. With winter coming up in a few months already, just be prepared to wait even longer this year for a shuttle to come pick you up and bring you across campus. The shuttle route also includes stops at Walmart on Saturdays and Sundays for students. Why doesn’t the shuttle transportation allow the bus drivers to travel to a store other than Walmart, and why doesn’t the bus make a stop for shoppers on the weekdays? Not everyone supports Wal-Mart, and certainly many students would rather go to Hannaford’s to pick up groceries. Not many people can afford to have a car here for almost a hundred dollars a year, and the bus may be the only option for transportation for those who find themselves carless. Just to be on the same page, we are not bashing on any of the bus driver’s who take their time and help us get to our destination during the day. We are just trying to acknowledge that hardly anyone on campus is thrilled about the shuttle schedule and tardiness at every bus stop around campus. It has been becoming more and more of a nuisance than a great way to get to campus. Many students walk instead of taking the shuttle to campus, mostly because a lot of them actually get there faster.
We believe that a better use of the shuttles would be if there were more stops along the way to Walmart, like for instance the shopping plaza by Hannaford’s. Of course, making sure there are several shuttles riding around campus would be beneficial to everyone, making sure they are picking up students faster than every 30 minutes. All we are asking for is an easier way to ride the bus. We shouldn’t have to wait half the day for one.