StarMetro officials decided to split the previously shared Florida A&M University and Florida State University engineering shuttle into two different routes.
Engineering students were not satisfied with the previous shuttle route, which only arrived at each campus once an hour.
Marline Daceus, 20, a third-year civil engineering student from Haiti, said the previous schedule was not helpful at all.
“The schedule didn’t always match class times causing an inconvenience,” said Daceus.
Both colleges are managed by a joint management counsel, which includes presidents, provosts and chief financial officers from both FAMU and FSU.
After meeting, both universities wanted to have separate services to fulfill the needs of their students. On August 24, the new bus schedule went into effect.
Reginald Perry, associate dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, said students were constantly complaining about the infrequency of the bus schedule so something had to be done.
“The [universities] decided to offer their own service which allowed them to double the frequency of the buses,” said Perry.
StarMetro said both colleges were considered when changes to the new route were in discussion. The new route allows students to have a more direct and frequent service.
Heather Harris, StarMetro marketing specialist said students support the change.
“We have received much positive feedback from students. In fact, bigger buses have now been placed on the engineering routes to accommodate the student demand,” Harris said.
Even though the new route was created to accommodate students, not everyone is happy.
Daceus said she is pleased with the new schedule, but said she does not feel the change was adequately publicized.
“The change is wonderful, but I am disappointed FAMU did not do everything possible to let students know the actual times,” Daceus said. “We were only told the bus comes every 30 minutes.”
She said she is upset there was a lack of notification of the times to students.
“I waited an hour and 30 minutes on the first day of classes. Another girl missed class for an entire week,” Daceus said.
However, Perry said freshmen were notified by email and upperclassman could refer to the engineering school’s Web site for the information.
Some FAMU engineering students dislike how the crowds on Set Fridays can throw off the bus schedule. However, students are able to be picked up at the Student Services Center on Friday, said the associate dean.
The bus will pick students up from the Student Services Center and not the Set on Fridays.
During fall and spring semesters, each university’s engineering route will operate Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
During the summer semester, both routes will operate Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.