GET ON THE BUS: New shuttle program takes students off campus
By Michael Moeschler
Getting off campus and beyond the bubble of Santa Clara may have gotten a little easier with the creation of the Bronco Bus.
The 47 seat bus will shuttle students to and from popular Bay Area locations, including Palo Alto and San Francisco, providing opportunities for students to experience the unique resources that this area has to offer.
Student reaction to the new shuttle program has been positive. "This is a great resource that the students need to take advantage of," said senior Daniel Spurgin. "The Bronco Bus is something that needs to be around for a while and I think that depends on what the freshmen and sophomore response is like. If you don't have a car, how else are younger students going to get to see what's out there?"
The development of the Bronco Bus was created after students voiced their frustrations that it was difficult to get off campus without proper means of transportation, according to a proposal drafted by representatives from Associated Students (AS), Santa Claran's Against Drunk Driving (SCAAD), Activities Programming Board (APB) and other students. These frustrations were compounded when CalTrain, one of the most commonly used methods of public transportation for students, canceled its services on the weekends due to construction.
In a recent parking study survey of Santa Clara students, two-thirds responded that they would use a shuttle service.
"The bus offers a service to expressed destinations that students want to go to at times they want to go," said Presidential Fellow David Thompson. "The shuttle leaves at opportune times, and offering transportation to San Francisco when CalTrain can't is another added bonus."
The first shuttle will depart for San Francisco at 11 a.m. and drop students off in the heart of Union Square. The last shuttle will depart from San Francisco at 2:15 a.m.
"The flexibility in hours really caters to everyone," said Thompson. "It offers the day trip to the city and also the late night visits where students can go to dinner, or to a concert or clubbing."
The bus will also run on a local route, taking students to downtown San Jose, AMC Mercado Cineplex, Valley Fair Mall and University Avenue in Palo Alto, with the last shuttle leaving Palo Alto at 2:20 a.m.
"It's great to see the university doing something nice for the students," said senior John Daw. "I wish this had been around a couple years ago."
Thompson, who assisted in the development of the Bronco Bus program, believes that the shuttle offers a great value on top of it's flexibility in transportation.
Students traveling the local route will be charged $2 for unlimited shuttle access per day. A roundtrip ticket to San Francisco will cost $5 per student, according to Thompson. "If you factored in gas and parking for a day in the city, we estimated that would cost a student $15, so this is a great deal," said Thompson.
"The Bronco Bus will be done in conjunction with the 'Bay Area Adventure Guide' series that educates students on current public transportation," according to the proposal. "The hopes of this service are to not only provide means of transportation that are currently not available to most students, but also to strengthen the university community through group excursions to various places in the Bay Area."
The Bronco Bus will begin one of its two trial runs Friday, April 11. On Saturday, April 26, the Bronco Bus will again transport students to and from their desired destinations. Student participation in the program will determine if the shuttle service remains a resource at Santa Clara.
"The city of Santa Clara is complete crap," said Spurgin. "Any resource that gets students out and home safely is something the school needs."