Over the past two semesters, the shuttle service has broadened its horizons as it now will transport students to and from anywhere in the area with less rigid time restrictions than seen in the past.

Every Wednesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. outside of Strebel Student Center, a shuttle will be available free of charge to transport students to and from wherever they need. 

Historically, the shuttle would only go to Walmart and Target and run in 20 minute intervals. This meant the driver would pick up students outside of Strebel and drop them off at Walmart or Target, then circle back to campus to pick up another group and/or drop off the students who had finished shopping. 

When boarding the shuttle, students will let the driver know where they would like to be driven and they will then exchange contact information with the driver. This allows the students to call or text the driver once they’re ready to be brought back to campus.

Common destination choices among students are Sangertown Square Mall and the Marquee Cinema, both in New Hartford. 

This change in structure gives students more freedom to run their errands or have fun off campus with guaranteed transportation. 

“Being able to give students free transportation, because not all of us have cars, is a reliable resource to have whenever I need to buy necessities and food,”  first-year student Zeniyah Gholson said.

Additionally, the shuttle driver will make multiple rounds back to campus to ensure all students in need of transportation that day are serviced.

Devlin Daley, a staff member at SLCE office, said a “Tour of Utica” trip will be offered soon and is an opportunity for students to connect with the community, especially for the university’s international students, allowing them to grow familiar with the Utica area.