Morgan Markley
Senior Reporter
Next time you are attempting to brave the frigid walk to Wal-Mart, consider hitching a ride from Keene State College’s Campus Community Shuttle. For KSC students and faculty, riding the shuttle is free and will take you to places such as the Monadnock Marketplace and the Riverside Plaza.
Shuttle
City Express schedules are located around the KSC campus and show what times the shuttle runs. During the cold weather spell, Campus Safety posted a message on MyKSC that said, “It’s cold outside, but you can get where you want to go on the warm City Express Campus Shuttle. Don’t walk or ride in a cold car, hop on the bus.”
Director of Campus Safety Amanda Warman, said, “The shuttle is intended to supplement transportation for students, really support the academic program.”
Warman continued, “For students who are living on campus that either need transportation or don’t want to use their own vehicles the shuttle is a good way to get back and forth.”
Sophomore Danielle Field said she has used the shuttle a couple times during her time at KSC, “You can get places which is nice especially if you don’t have a car. I kind of wish it went to other places though.”
Although the Campus Community Shuttle may not take you to places such as the hospital, the Black Route and the Red Route have other destinations on the schedule.
These routes are accessible by getting on the Campus Shuttle.
Freshman Megan Pereira said she rides the shuttle about two times every other week. She said the best part of the shuttle is, “How often it comes…it’s usually on time.”
Carl DeBlank said he has been driving the Campus Shuttle for six years. DeBlank said that students take the shuttle because of the, “Convenience, and I use the heaters.” DeBlank said the advantages to riding the shuttle are, “You don’t freeze for one thing. You can bring big ticket items on the bus, you know. If they want to buy a refrigerator at Wal-Mart or a lamp they can put it on the bus, no problem.”
Warman said she thinks a lot more people could use the shuttle, “We’ll put up notices periodically to remind people of it. Our average ridership is about 20,000 riders a year.”
Warman continued and said Campus Safety keeps track of things like who rides the shuttle, and where they are going.
“If we have a pick-up point that isn’t really doing a lot of business, what we might do is add another one that might be more in demand and drop that one, so we really want to be able to have it meet the demands and the needs of the students,” Warman said. DeBlank said, “If students want to go up to dinner at Olive Garden, they can take the bus up there at 5:30 p.m. and I guarantee I will pick them up at five after seven. That way they don’t have to walk back, they know I’ll be there.”
DeBlank said he will be retiring after this semester, and to which riders of the shuttle said, “Good luck Carl!”
Morgan Markley can be contacted at
mmarkley@keene-equinox.com