A new shuttle station route is affecting Coastal Carolina University students and staff, and students don’t see the appeal.
Greg Weisner, the director of parking and transportation services, and his team are ahead of the curve by making sure the new transportation services match the future mobility plans, preparing students for the changes to come to the Lib Jackson Student Union.
The new shuttle route picks up and drops off students at the TD Sports Complex and Chanticleer West stops, instead of the main station outside of Lib Jackson Student Union like before. The new layout surprised returning students and raised questions about the decision. Weisner shared the incentives for the new layout, referencing the university’s master plan and mobility study.
“The shuttle station at the student union near the Bell Tower was going to go away. So, what we are doing is we’re getting ahead of that with a shuttle system, and we’re also following a mobility plan by moving stuff over here on this side of campus,” Weisner said.
With plans to build a shuttle stop structure at TD Sports Complex, Weisner said the new route not only prepares students but also improves efficiency.
“We’re able to make these loops almost one and a half times faster now than when we had to come through and go through all these red lights, and making the loops faster means we can carry more people,” Weisner said.
Students at CCU are getting familiar with the route change as the school year starts but are dissatisfied with the changes.
Kassi Young, a senior majoring in theatre arts, doesn’t see the efficiency in the new route.
“I definitely think it takes longer because everybody’s, like, piling up at the same bus stop,” Young said. “And I feel like, because there are also cars that drive through, it makes a lot of traffic down there. So, it’s like, we might get on Edwards road, but it’s going to take us forever to get to the stop because there are so many cars that are trying to go around the loop.”
Nicole Grome, a senior communication major, also thinks the improved routes are inconvenient.
“The old stop used to stop right there by Cino and Starbucks. Now, if I want to go to the library, I’ll just drive and park at KK since it’s closer. The Lib Jackson stop makes more sense to me,” Grome said.
Weisner said Parking and Transportation Services are aware of these concerns and are actively working to address them. He said his team is gathering data and calculating results on what works best for everyone.
