Campus shuttle routes to change Fall Quarter
Associated Student Government announced changes to campus shuttle routes that will take effect Fall Quarter, with the hope that the shuttle system will be more accessible and convenient for students.
View Final Campus Loop in a larger map
The Purple Route, Purple Express, Intercampus Shuttle and Ryan Field Shuttle will each operate under new routes intended to be more efficient and less confusing to students, according to a presentation prepared by ASG Vice President Tommy Smithburg and others, and presented to the Senate on Wednesday night.
“The common thread within each improved shuttle route is that no matter what shuttle you take, you are guaranteed to stop near the Arch, the Jacobs Center, and Tech,” Smithburg and others wrote in the presentation.
The presentation cited the Purple Route, for example, as serving “areas of campus with low demand.” The new route will run through Campus Drive and Lincoln Street, and will do a shorter loop around off-campus areas. The Purple Express will also run through Campus Drive, and will make seven stops instead of 11, for a “more simplified route.”
Student officials made the changes after conducting a study which found that more than half of student respondents did not use Northwestern’s shuttle system.
“We were a little alarmed” to learn of a sharp decline in students using shuttles in recent years, Smithburg said during his presentation to the Senate.
Smithburg noted that while about 54 percent of students surveyed said they did not use campus shuttles, only 7.6 percent said that they prefer to walk.
“We can actually have an active role in increasing ridership on the shuttles,” he said.
The presentation also suggested new names for each shuttle route, saying that the names of the Purple Express and the Purple Route caused confusion. If the name changes go through, the Purple Express would be renamed the Campus Loop. Student officials are still considering a new name for the Purple Route.
Chloe Benoist contributed reporting.
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Finally. A shuttle that makes sense. Hopefully this thing stops by Norris too!
Josh
May 28, 2009 at 2:52 am
The shuttle always ran through campus drive, demand dropped in part because of the construction there the past two years. Once that is finished in fall quarter it will probably jump up again, in addition to the helpful changes we’ve suggested.
Neal Sales-Griffin
May 28, 2009 at 7:14 am
there needs to be a shuttle that runs down sheridan! the route does from noyes, but it goes north from noyes and sherman, so you have to walk out to sheridan. if you want to go south from north off campus apartments there basically aren’t shuttles available. if the shuttle system worked better i’d use safe ride a whole lot less.
frustrated shuttle rider
May 28, 2009 at 11:55 am
THERE NEEDS TO BE A NORTH-SOUTH SHUTTLE THAT RUNS 8 A.M. TO 10 P.M.
Emily
May 28, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Hi Emily,
Instead of a “North-South Shuttle” for next fall, which is not feasible due to the current financial climate, we decided to change our current shuttle routes so that no matter what shuttle you take, it will at least go North and South on Sheridan and hit the Arch, the Jacobs Center, and Tech. We could only propose changes that would not increase the budget, so we had to be innovative in what we did.
Instead of creating one new shuttle to run up and down Sheridan (once again, no money there), we have proposed a system where multiple shuttles take students up and down Sheridan. Cost effective and more efficient.
If you would like more information please email me at (michaelmcgee@u.northwestern.edu) or Tommy Smithburg (tsmithburg@gmail.com).
Mike McGee
May 28, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I hope you and the rest of ASG got my suggestion to name one of the shuttles Fruit Loop (as there are lots of lovely fruits at NU) and the midnight one Douchebaggery Express, in honor of the midnight email sent out by Mo. I mean, Mo’s your friend. He wrote the email sort of in your support, so the least you could do is name a shuttle after him.
Seriously, Campus Loop is a dumb name. FRUIT LOOP. FRUIT LOOP. Please Mike Please. I like totally complimented you one time when you were standing near the Arch during elections. Now return the favor and name the shuttle Fruit Loop.
Dear Mike
May 28, 2009 at 8:45 pm
What happened to the GPS locating system for the shuttles? That’s the thing everyone’s been waiting for. Why even run multiple routes if no one uses them? Make one route work well. We need the GPS locators.
Benjamin
June 1, 2009 at 2:08 am
Yo Benjamin,
Check your Twitter! I think ASG responded to you…
http://twitter.com/NorthwesternASG
Shuttle GPS will be implemented in September! Student Affairs approved it May 1st.
Tabitha Twitter
June 1, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Uh. What happened to the shuttle stop at Bar Louie/the Keg?
keg night
September 3, 2009 at 4:37 pm
this is definitely a better setup, thanks for sharing
Funny t-shirts
September 8, 2009 at 6:45 am
So… it’s October, where’s our shuttle GPS, ASG? Would it be unfair to say, ASG, that you have lost credibility with your deadlines?
Outraged
October 1, 2009 at 12:39 pm