Due to shuttle service budget reductions by the University, AUTO will provide supplemental Park Bethesda shuttle service, according to SG President Kyle Taylor and AUTO Commissioner Mohammad Khan.
AUTO's new shuttle service will run for the rest of the semester, Taylor said. AUTO will hire, train and certify a separate set of student drivers from the one's it already maintains, according to Taylor.
"I think that's wonderful," said Cameron Smith, a junior in the School of Public Affairs.
In addition to the supplemental service, AUTO will provide service to Park Bethesda after on-campus events at any time. To help improve the service, the SG wants Golden Touch Limousine to use bigger buses on its current route.
A schedule for the new service has not been decided yet, according to RHA President Will Mount.
According to Gail Hanson, vice president of Campus Life, the current shuttle service budget reductions are because Park Bethesda is "not breaking even," which sent the university into "cost containment mode."
Hanson cited operating costs that are higher than what the university originally forecasted when it began leasing the building in 2002. Adding to budget concerns, Hanson said the shuttle is not assumed in the Park Bethesda budget because building rental rates would have to be raised to cover the cost.
"You can either raise revenue, or cut costs," Hanson said.
Instead of raising rates, the University has used reserve funding to cover the cost of the shuttle in the past. The University tries to avoid this because it is bad fiscal practice that can lead to a reduced bond rating for the university, Hanson said. A reduced bond rating can hinder the school's ability to borrow money in the future.
To improve the current shuttle service operated by Golden Touch Limousine, bus drivers have begun checking Park Bethesda access cards to verify that riders live in the building, Park Bethesda Resident Manager Greg Gadren said in a letter to residents.
According to the letter, non-Park Bethesda residents are riding the bus, making the bus overcrowded and forcing passengers to stand.
"The shuttle exists to serve the residents of Park Bethesda, not all AU students," Gadren said in the letter.
Students riding the bus to visit Park Bethesda residents are no longer allowed to ride the bus, Hanson said.
"That's pretty obnoxious of them," Smith said.
On various occasions The Eagle observed shuttle drivers failing to check passenger's access cards. The policy went into effect last Monday.
"We certainly know we are not meeting students interests by not running a seven day a week shuttle," Hanson said.
