Those students who reside on Newton Campus can attest to the fact that dealing with the Boston College shuttle system on a daily basis can be difficult. Chris Denice, Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC) president and CSOM '09, said it's not just Newtonites who struggle with the seeming irregularity of the 10 BC buses that run at any given time. "We did a student survey, and it was one of the top three concerns that students had that they wanted UGBC to work on - transportation and the functionality of the buses, reliability. It was a concern for us in the campaign and that reaffirmed that initiative," he said.
Taking the bus might become less of a hassle with the recent posting of the originating shuttle schedule. The times at which the buses leave Conte Forum and Stuart Dining Hall have been posted both at stops around campus and online, and are the result of a collaboration between the UGBC and BC Transportation and Parking Services.
"Students think the buses aren't on a schedule, but they are. We got the bus schedules posted this past week, and I think it's holding drivers more accountable," said Colleen Nuzzolese, co-director of transportation for the UGBC and CSON '11.
"Our standard is that we don't expect a student to wait longer than 15 or 20 minutes," said Paul Cappadona, manager for Transportation and Parking services. "We're very comfortable meeting the 15-20 minute standard. We've only received a handful of complaints this year, but there's a perception out there that it's worse than that."
Cappadona said that while students have requested that a schedule be posted in the past, he has been unable to comply with these requests due to logistical problems.
"In the past it had been requested that transportation and parking post all arrival times for each bus, and given variables like traffic and weather, we're unable to do that accurately," he said. "What we could do was a compromise - pick two stops that are the origins or the roots, and publish the times we know we're going to have a bus leaving there. To the UGBC's credit, that was their request."
Nuzzolese said she thought posting the originating times was a practical solution.
"It's a good first step because obviously there is a schedule and it seemed practical - why can't the students know what the schedule is?" she said. "Having just the origin times is better right now because it leaves room for traffic and whatnot. It's a good first step."
Both Cappadona and UGBC representatives said that posting the bus schedules will help alleviate some of the complaints students have with the current bus system.
"At the very least, it gives students a little bit more knowledge to make the decision if they want to walk or take the bus," Denice said.
Cappadona said, "If you're standing at Main Gate and see that a bus has left Newton Campus at 10:07, the times are published everywhere so you can get a sense of when the bus will arrive," he said.
Ideally, though, students would be able to view where the buses are at any given time.
"We're very hopeful for a GPS system," Nuzzolese said. "What I'd like to see is something similar to Laundry View, where you can look online and see where the bus is and when you can expect it to arrive, and potentially screens at bus stops, in a perfect -world."
Denice said that though students have been working closely with the administration in posting the originating schedules and have worked to formulate feasible plans for the administration to consider, it is ultimately out of their hands.
"We've done all we can as students, and now it's up to the administration to decide what they want to do with the system," Denice said. "Ultimately, it would be them implementing it, paying for it, and managing it, but I'm optimistic."
Denice said that Transloc Inc. produces one system that the UGBC is carefully considering. Transloc Inc.'s Transit Visualization System continuously displays the location of vehicles and animates their motion against a detailed map of recognizable buildings and landmarks, according to the company's Web site. The system has already been implemented at schools such as Harvard University, Auburn University, Emory University, and the University of Florida.
Denice said that calculating the cost of such a system is complicated.
"It all depends on maintenance. The prices do range, but I think it's something BC could handle out of auxiliary services," he said. "It's a service students need, considering there are 2,000 students who rely on the buses to get to class every day."
Nuzzolese has a positive outlook on the potential installation of a GPS system.
"We're very hopeful for a GPS-type product in the near future, whether it's one year or two," she said. "The administration is aware that students are unhappy with how the bus system is working - the ball is rolling, and we're very hopeful."
Cappadona did not indicate whether he thought the GPS system will be implemented in the near future. "It's a great program, but it's an expensive program. I think we have to be fiscally responsible, particularly in these times, before making that type of decision," he said.
Cappadona noted that in the mean time, students should notify Transportation and Parking Services if they have a problem with BC's shuttle system.
"If students do have feedback, we want them to e-mail shuttle@bc.edu. If a bus doesn't show up for more than 20 minutes, that's not acceptable, and we want to address it," Cappadona said. "Sometimes there's a legitimate reason, and we can get back to the student and explain the situation, and it makes them understand. If you e-mail us with a time, date, location, and a bus number, I can tell you 99 percent of times why a bus is late."
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