Housing and Dining Programs dropped Park Bethesda shuttle's Sunday service and cut operating hours on other days because the building was not meeting its target revenue, according to director Julie Weber.
To meet the target, the university reduced the shuttle budget when it chose a new shuttle service provider June 1. Weber declined to say what that target revenue is for the facility, which has been leased to AU since 2002.
"That was a balance of revenue not meeting expectations, but also to get a more appropriate shuttle schedule that didn't run empty buses," Weber said.
The university replaced its last shuttle provider, Reston Limousine, because it was unreliable. AU signed a one-year contract with Golden Touch Limousine.
Golden Touch declined to comment on its arrangement with the university.
The new shuttle service starts at Park Bethesda and makes a stop every 30 minutes on weekdays, except between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and between 5:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Previously, the shuttle had no midday service breaks and ran on Sundays.
The shuttle's daily service breaks can be shifted within the schedule, as long as the total hours of service remains the same, said Greg Gadren, resident manager of Park Bethesda.
The administration, Gadren said, has taken the allotted money "and done the best we can with it."
Transportation to and from classes was the first priority in scheduling, Weber said. Data collected last academic year showed students were not riding the bus during the midday and evening hours.
No service is provided Sundays or holidays because there is no class on those days.
Alternative transportation is available for students to make up for the lack of service, including the Montgomery County Ride On bus and Metro bus, ZipCar or a free shuttle to Friendship Heights Metro station.
Last spring, a letter regarding reduced service was sent out with Park Bethesda applications. The letter had no schedule specifics, according to Gadren.
More shuttle service could be added to the current contract, but that is unlikely, Weber said. The contract is for only one year so Housing and Dining can choose a new service soon if the shuttle service performs poorly.
Several students filed complaints with Gadren regarding the new schedule, he said. Complaints previously went through Public Safety and the Park Bethesda reception desk. Now Gadren forwards a copy of all the complaints to Golden Touch Limousine.
The oversight system of the shuttle was reorganized for simpler operations and better service, Weber said. Housing And Dining Programs now oversees the daily operations of the shuttle. Previously Transportation Services, Housing and Dining and Public Safety operated the shuttle, said Tony Newman, director of Risk Management and Transportation Services.
"Students think the building's high rent cost justifies a shuttle service with longer operating hours," said Will Mount, president of the residence hall association. "The current service discourages potential residents from choosing Park Bethesda."
The administration has always been cooperative when dealing with the RHA, he said. But the Park Bethesda shuttle service has been "a sticky issue."
Meryl Kopy, a Park Bethesda resident, is organizing a campaign with about two-dozen students to change the shuttle service, she said.
Using word of mouth and fliers to organize the campaign, Kopy plans to make a list of suggestions for improving the service.
The group, which hasn't yet been named, says the shuttle is unsafe, doesn't run enough and takes up time from students on a tight schedule, she said. At peak riding times, the shuttle is overcrowded and poses a danger if an accident occurs, Kopy said.
The service breaks during the day are "unacceptable" Kopy said. Students are "just trapped here." In response to the transportation alternatives Housing and Dining suggests, Kopy said the group would rather get more reliable service that that doesn't cost students money.
