Starting today, York students, faculty and staff living in The Village, the residential development just south of the Keele campus, will be able to take advantage of an expanded Campus Shuttle evening transportation service.
The expanded service was part of new measures announced by York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri in his Aug. 26 safety update to the community (see YFile, Aug. 26).
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| Above: Starting today, an expanded evening Campus Shuttle service will run Monday to Friday in The Village neighbourhood south of York's Keele campus |
"We expanded the Campus Shuttle service to The Village to better serve University community members living in the development," said Nicole Arsenault, manager of Transportation Services. "The service includes three York University shuttles – the Village Express, Village East and Village West routes."
Arsenault said the Village East and Village West shuttles, which do a comprehensive circuit that honeycombs the development, each encompass 11 stops on the main roadways of the housing development. The routes, which will operate Monday to Friday between 6pm and 2am, will depart at regular intervals (see the Campus Shuttle schedule for full details). The service will be available for the Fall and Winter terms, with no shuttle service on statutory holidays or during the University's December holiday closure.
All shuttles pick up in front of Vari Hall at the start of each of their runs. Arsenault said the service is available to any University community member who presents a valid YU Card or photo identification.
Service is available on a first-come, first-served basis. To help with the anticipated demand, two new buses have been ordered and will be delivered to the University this fall. Last year, some 300 passengers a night used the Village Express Campus Shuttle, said Arsenault.
Right: The shuttles will stop in the middle of the roads at fire hydrants
Passengers using the Village Express Shuttle will be able to request drop-off anywhere along the route after 11pm. Calumet College and Jane & Shoreham pick-ups and drop-offs are only available on request. Accessible service for patrons with disabilities is also available on request along all of the routes.
The Village East and West shuttles will only pick up and drop off passengers at designated locations, which Arsenault said have been carefully chosen. "The drivers will stop in the middle of the roads beside fire hydrants," she explained. "The hydrants are located within good visual range of the homes on the street and if requested, the drivers will wait until the passenger has safely entered their house."
In addition to the neighbourhood shuttles, York University offers the goSAFE service, a call-in program where specially-trained goSAFE staff will walk students, faculty and staff from any location on campus to another location on campus, including the Campus Shuttle pick-up locations. To arrange for a goSAFE escort, call 416-736-2100, ext. 55454.
The Campus Shuttle service was expanded in response to requests from the community and following extensive consultation with the York Federation of Students, said Arsenault. Drivers will carry two-way radios and cell phones.
Route maps and a schedule for the Village Shuttle with pick-up and drop-off locations can be downloaded from the goSAFE and Transportation Services websites via the Shuttle Services link.