Off-campus residents are dealing with a lack of transportation to campus in the later parts of the afternoon and into the evening.
College Park Apartments is the only Pitt-Johnstown housing not located on campus. The distance from the CPAs to Krebs Hall is approximately one-half mile.
Most residents combat this half-mile trek by driving to campus and parking in the freshman and commuter lots. But, for residents who do not have access to a motor vehicle, a shuttle van to and from Blackington and the CPAs is offered.
Other UPJ students have access to this service as well, including the commuters who reside in the Bloomfield Apartments, next to the CPAs.
The shuttle picks students up every 15 minutes from the time it first departs from the CPAs at 7:45 a.m., until its final trip back to the CPAs at 1:55 p.m. But some residents are saying they are unhappy with the time the shuttle stops operating.
On Sept. 12, Adara Cohen presented Student Senate with a proposal to extend the shuttle’s operating hours. Cohen argued that some students do not have classes during operating times.
Student Senate President Cliff Maloney said they are considering asking for expanded hours.
“First we need to gather statistics. See if there truly is a need, and, if there is, we will present it to the administration and see where we can go from there,” he said.
Senators plan to obtain the information by giving a survey to CPA residents. Maloney said he was unsure whether UPJ students who commute from the Bloomfield Apartments are going to be polled.
Senior Justin Keane, an off-campus resident, said he agreed with Cohen’s proposal to extend the shuttle hours. He also said he had bad experiences getting to his weekly night class.
“Instead of having to stay on campus until my night class begins or having to worrying about finding a ride back when it is raining, it would be great to go home and relax.”
Keane said he left his car back home to cut down on expenses.
“There is no worse feeling than knowing you have to walk in the rain to a three-hour-long class. Your pant legs don’t dry out in those three hours.”