Over fall break, University shuttles and buses transported over 600 students to New York, Boston, Hartford, and New Haven, marking a 166 percent increase from last year, when only 226 students took advantage of the service. Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) members have attributed this spike to the availability of a new on-line box office, as well as increased communication with students and parents.
“I think the WSA did a pretty good job in publicizing [the website] through various mediums at various times,” said WSA Finance and Facilities Committee (FiFac) Chair Zach Malter ’13. “We just wanted to make sure that students who needed the service knew about it.”
This is the first year in which students have had the option to purchase tickets through an on-line shuttle reservations website, available through the Box Office website. In previous years, tickets were purchased exclusively through the Box Office at the Usdan University Center.
According to Malter, who also chairs the Transportation Committee, all three buses going to, and both buses coming from, New York sold out early, despite the last minute decision to add the third bus. The Boston bus, which has historically seen less demand, also sold out this fall break.
“New York usually sells pretty well, but for Boston this was a huge spike,” Malter said.
Transportation shuttles are organized during major breaks through Transportation Services and the Box Office. One-way shuttles to Boston and New York cost $25, shuttles to Bradley Airport are $20, and shuttles to New Haven Union Station are $9.
The WSA assists in publicizing the service via e-mails, Wesleying, and the WSA website. University Relations also informs parents through the parent email list.
At this point, the WSA has no immediate plans to push for more buses during Thanksgiving Break, which is usually the most popular time for students to use the shuttle service.
“We want to make sure this isn’t an exceptional circumstance, although I don’t think it will be,” Malter said. “We may have to look into reevaluating the number of buses we have, but there are no definitive plans yet.”
Malter pointed out, however, that more buses might still be added depending on student demand in November.
“I will say that [Transportation Supervisor] Joe Martocci added another bus in the middle of the ticket sales period, so it’s a little flexible,” he said. “This fall, I think we underestimated the effectiveness of the website and our ability to promote.”
Leave a Reply