Through feedback and discussions with students and stakeholders, ridership data and changing habits, SUNY Oswego and Centro recently revised their campus loop schedules for fall 2022, which now include some expanded hours and amended logistics that support our students and areas needing more service.
SUNY Oswego contracts with Centro to offer two free campus bus loops: The Blue Route connects lakeside residence halls and The Village with Marano Campus Center, Shineman Center, Park/Wilber Halls, Rich Hall and Sheldon Hall; while the Green Route has Marano and Rice Creek Field Station on its far ends with stops at Laker Hall and the Romney lot.
According to ridership counts, use of the Centro bus loops overall declined greatly when comparing usage in 2019-20 and 2021-22. In addition, usage data and responses from students to a May 2022 survey revealed the following:
- Students-athletes needed support to get to Laker Hall in the evening
- Students want to attend athletic events at Laker but do not want to cross Route 104 in the evening.
- Buses were overcrowded, especially when heading west from the Marano Campus Center.
- Morning hours had low usage on the Blue Route.
- Many Green Route runs did not have any riders.
- Rice Creek class schedules vary each semester and are not consistent to allow for establishing a stable schedule that accurately serves students’ needs.
As a result, the following changes have been made to the fall 2022 schedule to best serve the greater SUNY Oswego student population:
- The Blue Route’s start has been moved back one hour to 8 a.m.
- The Green Route runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. servicing Rice Creek (with a Friday-only service initiated starting at 8:30 a.m. to cover a zoology lab for the fall semester). A Wednesday night class at Rice Creek has been relocated to the main campus.
- The Green Route expanded to add service to the eastern loop of campus, reducing demand on Blue Route and increasing utilization of the Green Route.
- The Green Route extended its service to Laker Hall and the Romney Lot until 9 p.m., constituting an additional four hours of service.
While the Centro routes receive funding from the Transportation Fee, the operation runs at a net loss to SUNY Oswego. “We gladly incur this transportation cost given it provides an important service to our students,” noted Vice President for Administration and Finance Victoria Furlong.