With concepts like the all-campus loop, the Bloomfield shuttle, and even the new Night Hawk shuttle, many students aim to take advantage of the shuttle services to get around both on and off campus.
However, despite their designed convenience, the common themes of delays and overcrowding on shuttles affects students’ ability to get to class on time.
Jason Bonilla, a sophomore computer science major, often considers walking due to the long wait times.
“The shuttles have been really terrible, I’ve had to wait for up to almost an hour,” Bonilla said. “I’ve honestly just considered walking at this point to be a better alternative than actually having to [take the shuttle]. I’m starting to get pretty tired of having to wait.”
Jason Bonilla, a sophomore computer science major, waiting outside University Hall. Emily Ramirez | The Montclarion Photo credit: Emily Ramirez
Bonilla explains his experience of having to wait for the next shuttle due to the amount of students waiting.
“Usually there’s just so many people here waiting because of all these shuttles that take so long,” Bonilla said. “I can’t handle it because they just all bunch up way too much. So I just usually wait for the next one.”
Monica Smith, director of transportation services, is aware of the overcrowding issues and has plans to fix them in the near future.
“We are aware of the concerns about overcrowding, especially during peak hours,” Smith said. “To address this, we are investigating the possibility of adding more 24-passenger buses to the fleet next year to increase capacity and improve overall service. We are currently exploring options to replace some of our older buses, which are nearing the end of their useful life, within the next few years.”
Shuttle arriving at University Hall. Emily Ramirez | The Montclarion
Smith also understands students’ frustrations with delayed shuttles and shares why wait times can be longer than usual.
“On peak days, such as Tuesdays and Thursdays, and during peak times, like eight to 9 a.m. and four to 6 p.m., delays are expected due to congestion on Clove Road and Normal Avenue,” Smith said. “We understand students’ frustrations, but these are unfortunately conditions beyond our control. We’re working to ensure that our drivers are navigating these conditions as efficiently as possible.”
Karla Urena, a senior psychology major, waiting for the shuttle outside of University Hall. Emily Ramirez | The Montclarion Photo credit: Emily Ramirez
Karla Urena, a senior psychology major, uses the TripShot app to track the shuttle she uses to get to work.
“I live in Machuga Heights, so sometimes it does come late,” Urena said. “So I usually have to come to University Hall or just walk to my job. I usually try to find what the best area for the shuttle is. I try to go on TripShot, but sometimes the times aren’t accurate.”
Jax Lucinario, a junior history major, waiting outside University Hall for the shuttle. Emily Ramirez | The Montclarion Photo credit: Emily Ramirez
Jax Lucinario, a junior history major, feels that the shuttles aren’t reliable for Montclair State residents.
“I just feel like with the shuttle bus, they’re very unreliable and they often forget that people do dorm on campus are still on campus, whether it’s because they live here, or because they have extracurriculars, or they’re just trying to socialize,” Lucinario said.
As the class size increases each year, causing these issues, Smith is aware of the new student population and has plans to add new vans, with an idea of hiring student drivers to operate them.
“With the growing student population, we’re expanding our fleet, adding two passenger vans to support smaller groups and on-demand services,” Smith said. “We will be considering hiring student drivers to operate these on-demand vans. This will allow us to use resources more efficiently while maintaining the regular shuttle schedule.”
Smith encourages students to give their feedback to improve the shuttle service.
“Students should also use the feedback feature within the TripShot app to help developers pinpoint any glitches or problems, particularly during evening hours,” Smith said. “This feedback has led to the creation of our on-demand Night Hawk Service, as well as the expansion of routes and schedules.”
