The shuttle operating on the Park Bethesda to Tenley Campus route ceased operation on Tuesday due to low ridership, according to Park Bethesda Resident Manager Greg Gadren.
The shuttle bus, operated by Reston Limousine, was started in order to provide transportation for Washington Semester students who were assigned to live in Park Bethesda due to an overbooked program. To help students in this circumstance, the bus was planned to operate for one semester only, regardless of ridership.
Tony Newman, director of Risk Management and Safety Services, said, "very few people [were] riding that bus." He added that the ridership was in the "fives and 10s."
Two Park Bethesda residents have complained to Gadren.
"The fact that the shuttle has been discontinued is very frustrating. I intern downtown Thursdays and Fridays. Fortunately, I do have a car, so I park at the Tenley campus and walk to the Metro," said Washington Semester student Tara Higgerson.
She added that "it's disappointing because transportation such as the shuttle we had decreases pollution and you got to know other people who rode the shuttle. It was always on time and there was never any problems."
Others are not as concerned.
"The fact that the shuttle has shut down has inconvenienced me a little bit, but nothing insurmountable. I would prefer a direct route to Tenley since I intern on Capitol Hill a few days a week," said Dan Clinkman, a junior in the School of International Service.
In response to student complaints, Gadren said the students still have other transportation options, such as using the Montgomery County Ride-On bus to get to the Friendship Heights Metro Station. They can also use the Park Bethesda-Campus shuttle route to travel to campus and then transfer to the Tenley-Metro shuttle to travel to the Tenleytown Metro station.
Julie Weber, executive director of Housing and Dining, also commented on students' concerns.
"We clearly didn't communicate that this shuttle was temporary as well as we could have," she said.
Red bulletins were put up at Park Bethesda bulletin boards in order to inform students that the shuttle service would be discontinued.
