University officials unveiled a proposed redesign of the campus shuttle system in a meeting with community members last night. The plan is scheduled for implementation in January 2008.
The newly proposed shuttle routes will most likely not take effect until after the spring 2008 semester, however, with modifications continuing over the next decade to reflect alterations in the University's Master Plan.
"So many other decisions that impact on our transit system are still being considered," Director of Community and Regional Affairs Kristin Appelget said, citing the planned addition of parking structures and buildings over the next 10 years.
The plan — designed with the help of Chance Management, a campus planning consultancy — will create six shuttle routes, replacing the current three-route system. Of particular interest to undergraduates is the newly proposed Line B, which will circle the campus, stopping for the first time at locations on Nassau Street, in addition to current shuttle locations like the Dinky Station and the E-Quad.
First introduced in 1989, the original shuttle system was intended to provide transportation to and from graduate housing and from parking facilities to the main campus. In practice, it was only useful to graduate students, but the newly proposed system is designed for use by both undergraduate and graduate students.
"What we're proposing is quite honestly a much more expensive, developed and professional plan," said General Manager for University Services Paul Breitman.
USG president Rob Biederman '08 emphasized the efficiency of the new system. "It was very nice to see the main campus shuttle loop greatly condensed," he said in an interview. "I've been pleased that USG suggestions and student feedback have been incorporated. We're always grateful for that."
The plan also eliminates shuttle transit on William Street and Ivy Lane, which many community residents saw as hazardous because of the narrowness of the streets.
"I'm very pleased with what you propose," Linda Leboeuf, a Princeton resident who lives on William Street, said during the meeting, responding to Breitman's presentation. "I'm very pleased that you're taking the buses off of the smaller streets."
Community members at the meeting generally approved of the redesigned system, which calls for smaller buses that run on bio-diesel fuel, the intersection of shuttle stops with New Jersey Transit transfer points and professional on-campus management of the transit system. The use of bio-diesel fuel will be phased in gradually.
Currently, the University manages the shuttles, maintaining buses and hiring drivers, but this will change in 2008, when the system will be outsourced to a separate company. "We will not own buses, and we will not employ drivers," Breitman said. He added that the University will ensure that drivers under the current system remain employed, either by keeping their current jobs under the new system or finding jobs nearby.
Some people at the meeting did criticize the new plan, however, with most objections concerning its potential environmental impact.
"The University should say, 'Perhaps we should not pollute our town,' " computer science professor Robert Sedgewick said. "Stopping every five minutes on Nassau Street is not good for the environment." He added that the University should prioritize the safety and convenience of pedestrians and cyclists over revamping shuttles.
"Let's do bikes first, let's do sidewalks first," Sedgewick said.
Though some community members said a shuttle system was not necessary at all, Borough ordinance requires the University to provide shuttle buses around campus, Breitman said. "Every person on that shuttle is a person that's not driving and parking their car."
He added that the University will now solicit further feedback, presenting the shuttle plan to focus groups of undergraduate students before finalizing the proposal at the end of the month.
This summer, the University plans to send out requests for proposals to possible contractors to begin the bidding process for the shuttle system's revamping.
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