Last semester, the Boston University Shuttle was crowded past capacity and regularly ran late. Students in West Campus were turned away from the shuttle, and residents of Danielsen Hall and nearby brownstones bemoaned the choice between long walks to the main campus or late arrival to class.
With traffic delays likely because of construction, it is commendable that BU decided to add another shuttle to the circuit. The university made a good decision to use a competitive bidding system to find a safe and affordable transportation provider this year.
In a Jan. 29 editorial, this page, joining a chorus of complaints from students at the Medical and Charles River campuses, called upon the school to add another vehicle to the bus schedule, as the university said it was considering last fall. BU appears to have smartly used passenger statistics gathered in late January to craft a better shuttle system.
Although the university has improved transportation around campus this semester, there are still ways to increase student safety and convenience. The shuttle is intended to serve students who travel between the Medical and Charles River campuses when classes are in session. The shuttle fully serves this purpose, and students do not need weekend or late-night services to reach academic buildings.
However, late-night scheduling should be considered as the next possible frontier for service expansion. BU students are left to walking, catching a pricey cab or calling the Security Escort Service after the T ends service shortly after midnight. The Escort Service used a shuttle van until last fall when budget considerations prompted a cut. While the Escort Service compensated for this by adding walking escorts and the cut was one of the most inconspicuous the administration said it could make, it would advance safety around campus if the Escort Service regained its shuttle.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology runs many shuttles within its campus and in surrounding areas. One shuttle, SafeRide, operates from 6 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and to 3:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. MIT further provides safety rides from campus police until daylight.
Approaching winter months when more people will pack mass transit only add to the challenges of traveling within a campus that is in a state of construction chaos. When it is possible and financially feasible, the school should continue to improve its transportation system. As former provost of MIT, with its fantasy fleet of buses and shuttles, BU President Robert Brown should recognize the importance of safe, reliable transportation in an urban campus and continue to improve services.
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