A perennial recipient of student government attention, the Davis Square shuttle once again finds itself under the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate microscope. This time, in response to student complaints, senators are investigating ways to eliminate overcrowding on the shuttle and reduce the time it takes to complete its route.
Students say that buses take longer to make the loop than in past years, causing a backup at the Olin and campus center stops and subsequent overcrowding on the shuttle.
The shuttle should take 20 minutes to make a loop during the day and 15 minutes at night, according to Joseph's Transportation, the company that runs Tufts' shuttle service. The night route is faster because the shuttle skips the Tufts Administration Building after 6 p.m.
But students say the wait is much longer - especially during weekend nights, the shuttle's peak time.
"I sometimes have to allow 30-40 minutes just to get to Davis Square to catch the T," said Matt Le-Khac, a freshman.
During a Sunday afternoon last weekend, the bus averaged a 20-minute loop. The night before, however, students found themselves waiting as long as 45 minutes for the bus.
"Eventually I just gave up and walked to Davis," freshman Caroline Ware said.
Senate Vice President Eric Greenberg plans to meet with administrators next week to discuss solutions to shuttle bus problems, such as adding another bus to lessen the wait and reduce overcrowding. "We need to look at getting a second bus at peak times," he said. "People jam into it on weekends. There is a safety issue involved there," he said.
Opting for the ten-minute walk to Davis Square rather than waiting for the shuttle has become an increasingly common choice, particularly for downhill residents.
"I walk all the time now it seems. Davis is not far away at all - it's just the shuttle route that makes it seem so far away," freshman Rick Liu said.
Part of the problem may stem from a revision to the shuttle route since last fall made in response to complaints from Somerville residents about traffic on Curtis Ave. The revised loop is almost a mile longer than the original one, which went through Teele Square and up Curtis before turning behind Carmichael Hall. The modified route goes through Powderhouse Square and heads to campus via College Ave.
"It seems to me that they go out of their way quite a bit," sophomore Laura Weyland said.
According to Greenberg, a viable alternative route could direct the shuttle up Packard Ave. from Broadway Ave. Although this path would still take the shuttle past a number of private houses, it would not go through quiet, residential roads.
Sophomore Senator Raji Iyer does not think the Packard Avenue route will be approved because the Senate has other pressing issues to address. "It's pretty doubtful the route will be changing," she said.
Students say that the shuttle bus drivers themselves are partially responsible for the delays. "I've heard horror stories about drivers taking long breaks and going into the campus center for coffee," Greenberg said.
Other students report that certain drivers wait at the campus center for extended periods of time for their replacement driver to arrive when their shift ends.
"I want to go home. I'm not going around again," one driver said at 5:45 p.m. on a Saturday night, 15 minutes before his shift was scheduled to end.
The large white bus that typically runs the Davis route holds 30 people. But the bus is often overcrowded on weekend nights, making the trip uncomfortable for riders. This past weekend, the shuttle carried upwards of 50 or more people at a time.
"I definitely have been smushed on the bus on many occasions," sophomore Traci Lee said.
Concerns about the performance of Joseph's Transportation are especially pertinent because the Senate is trying to finalize details on a plan to implement weekend bus service to and from Boston. So far, Josephs is a frontrunner company.
"I am weary about the inconsistent service they have provided on our Davis shuttle," Greenberg said. "I am concerned about the service they would provide to Boston."
The shuttle bus to Boston, which would be funded by Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Mel Bernstein's office, is tentatively scheduled to stop near Lansdowne Street and in the Theater District. It will begin running on a trial basis later this semester.
