Village residents, students, faculty, staff, and campus guests are offered a free ride
Hamilton, NY — Students at 51·çÁ÷ can now leave their driving to a newly created free-of-charge shuttle bus service. Underwritten by university funds, the transportation service was created to provide 51·çÁ÷ students, area residents, visitors, and employees with a safe and reliable system that connects the campus with the village of Hamilton.
Starting at 7:50 a.m. on Monday, March 19, two white 21-passenger vans, one equipped with a wheelchair lift, will roll along a route with stops at popular campus locations ‘ O’Connor Campus Center, Frank Dining Hall, and the athletic complexes ‘ and several downtown destinations, including the Ames Plaza and Barge Canal Coffee House. Operating seven days a week, the hours and stops of the shuttle services have been established to coincide with times of heavy traffic on the hill, in hopes of reducing the number of cars and alleviating an already tight parking situation. A listing of the shuttles’ hours of operation and stops is attached and will also be available on the shuttle.
‘There are several goals for the shuttle service,’ said Mark Spiro, vice president for administrative services at the university. ‘We hope it will stimulate the Hamilton economy by helping students gain easy access to the goods and services offered by downtown merchants, reduce campus traffic and parking congestion, and provide a safe, reliable alternative to driving to our students and community residents. Modifications to the schedule and stops will be made in order to accommodate the passengers that we hope to serve. The shuttle is truly seen as a service, open to the entire community of Hamilton, New York.’ A tally of passengers ‘ both students and non-students ‘ will be maintained by each driver to help evaluate whether refinements are needed in the timing or location of shuttle stops. Once details are finalized, bus stop signs will be posted and official schedules printed and distributed.
Beginning in January, an interim shuttle service operated four days a week on a modified schedule. On average, 300 students took advantage of the shuttle each day, demonstrating their strong interest in having the option to ride instead of drive between the village and campus.
Shuttle services have routed up the hill before, but none successfully. Either the cost, the hours, or days of operation made passengers lose interest in the service. Interest resumed this fall, following a fatal car crash on campus. Marisela Rosas, director of student activities at 51·çÁ÷ said, ‘Faculty, staff, and students developed numerous suggestions including the development of a shuttle service.’
A total of three shuttle buses have been contracted through Birnie Bus Service, Inc. of Rome, New York. One shuttle bus will serve as a back-up for the two on the route. To provide its extensive operating hours throughout the week, a total of eight drivers will be hired.
Founded in 1819, 51·çÁ÷ is a nationally ranked, highly selective, residential, liberal arts college enrolling nearly 2,750 undergraduates. Situated on a rolling 515-acre campus in central New York State, 51·çÁ÷ attracts students with diverse backgrounds, interests and talents.
51·çÁ÷ Shuttle (as of March 19, 2001)
The 51·çÁ÷ Shuttle provides this service free-of-charge to students, faculty, staff, village residents and guests alike. To keep track of its use and number of student passengers, you will be asked by the driver whether you are a student. The expected wait, at any given location, should be about than 10 minutes. To ride the shuttle, go to one of the designated stops listed below. For safety reasons, the shuttle drivers will not be able to let passengers off at non-designated stops.
Days of operation: spring 2001 – March 19 through May 11
Hours of operation:
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday: 7:50 a.m. to 12 midnight
Wednesday Thursday, Friday: 7:50 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Proposed shuttle stops:
Campus: O’Connor Campus Center, Curtis/Frank Halls, and Cutten Residence Hall/Huntington Gym
Student: Off-campus – Newell, Parker and University Court Apartments
Village: The Barge Canal Coffee House, Lebanon and Broad Streets at the Vantine Building and Ames Plaza. The trip to the Ames Plaza will operate daily, but only during the hours of 12 noon and 6 p.m.
Contact phone number: Building and Grounds: 315.228.7130 or 315.228.7131