dave Davis / NL The Seawolf Shuttle picks up students at the Campus Center Bookstore stop. Some riders are satisfied with the service, while others say improvements could be made.

Shuttle earns complaints, kudos

By Brian Bublitz
Special to the Northern Light

At the Seawolf Shuttle stop, prospective passengers often comment that the shuttle is late or that there’s no way they’ll make it to class on time. Such remarks may lead to the impression that students of the University of Alaska Anchorage have less-than-fond feelings for the shuttle service. Although most students feel the shuttle service is not perfect, they do appreciate it.

“They’re doing a decent job,” said student Sandra Medina, undeclared. “Most of the time they get here on time.”

John Kincaid, director of the operations department of Facilities and Campus Services is the first to admit that the shuttle bus system is not perfect.

“I have never run into any service that is perfect,” said Kincaid. “We’re going to miss people. With the amount of kids and routes we have, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the drivers. Any time you deal with the public you’ll have complaints.”

The shuttle service began in fall 2001. It was designed to reduce the number of cars present on campus, ease parking restraints and provide students with transportation through the cold and ice of Alaska. The service began with one 14-passenger bus and a 15-passenger van.

Beginning at the Commons, the shuttles travel down Providence Drive, turning onto Alumni Drive to swing by the Arts and Administration Buildings. Then, after a quick stop at the College of Arts and Sciences, proceed to West Campus for service to the Business Education Building, Building K and the Campus Center. Finally, they return by the same pattern to the Commons.

Although this pattern seems to run perfectly fine, one aspect has some students confused. There have been reports of shuttles not stopping at all of the stops, leaving some students behind.

“I’ve been skipped before,” said Eugene Pak, an international business major.

However, appearances can be deceiving. On any given day, two shuttles run the normal route while a third “floater” shuttle acts as a wildcard. The drivers keep in contact with each other via radios, and if the two main shuttles are experiencing overload the floater will come to pick up the slack and get excess students to their destinations.

Therefore, if it seems that a shuttle did not stop where it was supposed to, chances are it is the floater shuttle going on a mission. This confusion, said shuttle bus driver Alex Bodro, could be minimized with a display that shows the shuttle’s route.

“In the future we’ll need to have some sort of electronic sign like the city buses. It would relieve a lot of the exhaustive question-answering when we stop,” Bodro said.

Another complaint often expressed by students is that the shuttles do not wait at most stops.

Shuttle Bus Lead Tyson Robinson said that the only stops where a shuttle will wait more than 20 seconds are at the Campus Bookstore and the Commons.

“The other stops have to be quick to keep the schedule,” Robinson said.

The best defense against being left behind is vigilance, said Kincaid. If the shuttle drivers do not see people moving toward them they will leave. It is best to signal them so they know you intend to ride.

Caleb Rose, an English major, also expressed concern about the times at which the shuttles shut down for the day. Rose has night classes that get out just as the shuttles finish the last route.

“I’ve had to walk countless times from West Campus at 8:30 p.m. in the cold,” Rose said.

Other than that complaint, Rose says the shuttle service is doing an incredible job.

“I think it’s great and very convenient,” said Rose. “Having a shuttle every 15 minutes at the Commons is really great.”

For questions or comments about the UAA Shuttle Service, visit the Facilities and Campus Services Operations Department in the Gordon Hartlieb Building, or call the Seawolf Shuttle Hotline at 786-6935.