By Nicolas Esparza, Matthew Becerra, Jerry Sanchez, Brandon Bocanegra, Ryan Fogg and Alexander Franco, May 12, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona has paid more than $102,000 to GMV Syncromatics Corp. to provide the Bronco Express shuttle tracking system, even though The Poly Post has reported that the tracking system has been unreliable or non-existent for the past five years.
CPP’s payment history document from mid-2019 to the end of 2025 also shows CPP invested more than $23,000 in the system between mid-2019 and early 2022, and an additionalalmost $80,000 for costs under the contract extension in mid-2022. CPP paid GMV Syncromatics Corp. just over $46,500 for project management, training, audit and engineering, including service fee, cellular data and vehicle network gateway for 12 shuttles, according to the 2022 invoice and purchase order. The documents also show CPP agreed to pay around $16,000 on average for the annual service fee for the next three academic years.
The contract with GMV Syncromatics Corp. is valid until July 15, 2027, yet the shuttle tracking service has been unreliable since 2020.
The Poly Post reported in 2020 that the tracking app received an update to fix inaccurate shuttle times, but users continued to encounter glitches that affected wait times. The Poly Post followed up in 2024, finding the tracker service was still unreliable. Then, in fall 2025, The Poly Post reported CPP’s decision to remove the shuttle tracker from the CPP Mobile app the following semester.
Despite the CPP Parking and Transportation Service’s decision to terminate the shuttle tracking contract, CPP paid more than $8,800 for the tracking service in October 2025, the purchase orders revealed. Yu said CPP is looking for a new vendor but did not explain why CPP is still paying GMV Syncromatics Corp. for poor service or lack of it.
“The shuttle contract is actually about to expire for this fiscal year, so we’re going to have to go shopping for a new third-party vendor,” Yu said. “And with that means we’re also shopping for a new shuttle tracking system that would be far more improved than our current one.”
Budget cuts and reduced staffing are among the reasons Yu attributed to why the process is taking longer than expected.
Bronco Shuttle issues
High costs, decline in shuttle rides and the rise in the electric scooter and bike use on campus caused the CPP’s decision to end the counterclockwise shuttle route Jan.1, 2026.
With operating costs for fuel, repairs, maintenance and staffing from a third-party service, the Bronco Express costs approximately $800,000 to run annually, according to Yu. The documents The Poly Post reviewed show just over $8,800 goes toward annual renewal, tracking and cellular data for each shuttle.
The decision to eliminate the counterclockwise shuttle route was a part of a strategy to mitigate the $2 million deficit, The Poly Post reported.
Yu said the Parking and Transportation Services will announce new changes in early December 2026 on its website and social media, but he did not specify what those changes are or how they will affect CPP’s student population.
Before the clockwise and counterclockwise shuttle routes, the Bronco Express followed a four- route pattern labeled ABCD. The A route covered campus itself, while the D route was solely for University Village access.
The counterclockwise shuttle elimination did not sit well with CPP students.
“It’s tough times, so we’re trying to make sure that every dollar that we spend really impacts the student population in a positive way,” Yu said. “As much as it pains me to stop the counterclockwise route, I know some students may be upset about it, but in my opinion, we’re serving the greater population of students by making sure they have a free way to get to campus.”
Long waiting times
Before the elimination of the counterclockwise shuttle line, Bronco shuttles covered CPP’s 1,438 acre campus and provided service to The Current apartments, main campus, University Village and the Pomona North Metrolink Station.ampus, University Village and the Pomona North Metrolink Station.
A common complaint about the system is the lack of reliability in the shuttle’s arrival times. According to a previous Poly Post story, the Bronco Express tracker mobile app was the closest way users could get to viewing arrival times. But due to the lack of updates and maintenance, riders are left to guess when shuttles will arrive, often leading to long waiting times.
Apparel merchandising and management student Priscilla Martinez said her biggest issue with unreliable shuttle service is the way it affects her own time management.
“I think my biggest issue is just the time management of it because I’ll have to wait longer periods of time, and usually, previously, I could kind of estimate and guess what time it would come,” said Martinez, specifying the shuttle used to show up every half an hour. “But now it’s kind of unpredictable, so I’d have to just kind of almost leave an hour before I need to be somewhere, just to not be late, especially for class.”
Students continue to show frustration over the fact that they don’t know the shuttle arrival times. This unpredictability especially affects the class attendance, according to engineering student Chase Tran.
“This year it’s been meh,” Tran said. “It’s been inconsistent with showing up. In previous years, it’s been nice to rely on the tracker, but that’s been down pretty much all year. I need that tracker so bad.”
Hospitality management student Jonah Shin shared the same frustration in wanting more accurate shuttle arrival times.
Computer science student and The Current resident Alec Liu recounted her experience last year where the shuttle’s lack of reliability during commencement season caused her to miss a final presentation.
“It sucks that the shuttle doesn’t get funding, but where is funding going, there’s no way we don’t have the funding,” Liu said. “Our tuition is rising too, so where is it going and why is it not going into more essential services? The campus has the funding, but why is it not being done?”
Many students have also expressed frustration about the shuttle’s lack of disability access, citing a lack of training on accommodating riders with disabilities.
“Sometimes the drivers might not be properly trained,” Liu said. “The driver had to get the lift to get the person on the wheelchair which took them like five to 10 minutes. It’s not a lot, but in the context of the shuttles running around, that’s one stop to another.”
Students also complain about Parking and Transportation Services’ lack of response to their complains, despite Yu’s encouragement to email parking@cpp.edu with feedback related to issues with the shuttle service.
Martinez said her emails were never acknowledged.
“I did email them twice at the beginning of, I think actually, maybe once last semester and then one time this semester,” Martinez said. “They never replied to me.”
Feature images courtesy of The Poly Post and data from Cal Poly Pomona
