It has been over a month since DePaul debuted its intercampus shuttle bus pilot program which has given students another form of transportation between the Loop and Lincoln Park campuses.  The shuttle bus was recently approved to continue at the start of the 2022 fall quarter.

The Student Government Association (SGA) and the Faculty Operations worked together to implement the shuttle bus. The idea was presented while at a student safety town hall, early in March, according to Newsline. It was not until March 28, following the first day back from spring break that the shuttle was ready to launch.

DePaul partnered with Signature Transportation Group and its drivers to shuttle students from 4 p.m.to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Back when the program launched, Lenin M. Plazas, senator for commuter affairs, told The DePaulia that it was implemented for students’safety.

“Of course, it’s always a priority to make sure that [transportation is] accessible to all students, make sure that all students feel comfortable, and they feel like they’re not a burden or that they have the liberty to go on these buses with no hesitation,” Plazas said in March.

Avery Schoenhals, SGA senator for the college of communications, rode the bus for the first time on Monday and wants to make sure this shuttle continues to be an option for students.

“One of the things I am running on the election for is making sure that the shuttle is here to stay,” Schoenhals said.

Students at DePaul have experienced discomfort when riding CTA’s Red Line, , according to previous  https://depauliaonline.com/56899/news/as-cta-crimes-surge-depaul-students-feel-increased-anxiety-in-transit/

“I think that the numbers are improving as far as ridership,” said Aaron Halliday, shuttle bus driver. “The only one that is really consistent is the 9 o’clock with those night classes.”

Students have struggled to find a schedule telling the times each bus will arrive. The most accurate scheduling found, is the one taped to the window of the bus as students enter showing times of each bus from the first to the last.

“One of the things I have noticed and overheard being talked about was their timetable, so I am going to reach out to parking services to see if we can get that on the website,” Schoenhals said.

Halliday said the pick up location behind DePaul’s student center at the Lincoln Park campus on North Sheffield Avenue has created problems for the drivers in the first month.

“We have no business pulling into that parking lot,” Halliday said. “It is just a hazard, we have to pull in and pull out and when there are cars parked on either side of the road in front of the ray, we have to make a three-point turn.”

A possible alternative parking may be easier for the drivers to access, but also for students to have time to locate the bus.

“It would be a lot better if we came around and they made space for us in Sheffield, maybe even a block and a half north of there,”  Halliday said.

The number of riders has varied throughout the days, with the first bus arriving at the Loop around 4:45 p.m.

“Usually like this trip [the 4:45 pick up time] that we are doing right now on Monday, I had about 30 people,” Halliday said.

Two to three shuttle buses will run throughout the spring quarter and be accessible to Americans with Disabilities Act. Students will also be able to contact 24 to 48 hours in advance to request an ADA accessible vehicle during the spring, according to parking services.

Each bus arrives within 20 to 30 minutes depending on the traffic, and because of uncertainty due to traffic, parking services have yet to place a schedule informing students about the arrival times of the shuttle buses.

There are signs posted outside the elevator lobby in DePaul’s Loop student center in reference to the shuttle, even giving a barcode to scan, yet this only takes students to the parking services website where no postage of a schedule can be found.