Taking the Bronco Express shuttle is the easiest, but also the most unreliable way to get to campus.
I have been on the shuttle since my sophomore year of college. I am a senior now and not one week goes by when I am not having issues with the shuttles.
One of the problems is the lack of shuttle drivers. This is a college campus of over 25,000 students and there are only about 15 drivers throughout the day.
For a campus population that big, it is a necessity to bring in more drivers to accommodate as many students as possible.
The shuttles get full so quickly, especially in the early morning, U-hour and afternoon. It is bizarre to see so many students fit into one bus, but many have classes they need to get to as soon as possible.
This past week, I was on a bus where about three to four more students could have fit into the shuttle, but a person would not make room for them.
It was selfish because there are students trying to get to class on time. Shuttle users have to deal with finding parking first and then having to wait over 30 minutes for a shuttle. It does not seem fair for those commuting from cities over an hour of distance.
Another thing is that they take forever to show up to their shuttle stops around campus.
I understand that traffic can get in the way, but waiting for so long wears me out.
I try to give myself about 45 minutes before my class starts to catch a shuttle, otherwise I will be late to class.
It sounds exaggerated since I live at the University Village, but sometimes I have bad luck and not one shuttle will be coming by.
There are two shuttle routes I can take that will get me to campus: the A and B shuttle routes.
Whenever I have my unlucky days, I have to cross the street and wait for a C shuttle at the newer parking structure.
If neither A, B or C is coming, my last resort is to walk all the way across campus and with all my time wasted finding a shuttle, I have a short amount of time to walk.
By the time I get to class, I am out of breath.
This semester, I have a class that gets out at 8:15 p.m., and anyone who has a late-night class on campus knows that it is unfavorable.
The lights are dim throughout campus, which is another problem, making it too difficult to see. Because of this, I wait at a poorly lit bus stop for up to 25 minutes before a shuttle finally arrives.
Shuttles should be coming more consistently at night, especially since people do not want to walk in the dark.
I believe that two major changes can help improve the shuttle situation. First, hiring more drivers can allow shuttles to come by more often. Second, students should be considerate of other students, as others want to get to class on time too.
