Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--During the first two weeks of classes, about 3,000 riders a day joined the nearly 500,000 who have ridden Mississippi State University's shuttle buses within the past year.
Three new campus-city buses joined the existing fleet of eight vehicles. Already navigating a total of five campus routes 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, the new 31-seat vehicles are providing additional campus-to-city transportation.
"We've partnered with the City of Starkville to add two additional routes that originate on campus and deploy through both a northern and southern loop," said Ray Hayes, vice president for finance and ministration.
"They depart from and return to the new Cullis Wade Depot at the western edge of campus," he explained. "This is a starting point as we continue to evaluate existing routes and hope to add others."
Hayes said the new buses have accommodated approximately 150 daily riders during the first week of operation.
The northern loop includes North Starkville stops at the Brookville Gardens residential complex; Oktibbeha County Hospital, its Wellness Center and the nearby Doctors' Plaza; and Main Street/University Drive. The southern route includes such U.S. Highway 12 stops as the U.S. Post Office, supermarkets, pharmacies, and Wal-Mart Supercenter.
Originally proposed by the Carl Small Town Center--a part of the university's College of Architecture, Art and Design--the new Mississippi State/Starkville Campus-City Transit Service is funded by a federal grant administered by the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
"The grant covers operational costs, with additional expenses shared by MSU and the city," said Everett Kennard, MSU's director of transportation.
Hayes, who rode the entire southern-loop shuttle on the second day of classes, said the new route "went very smoothly."
"We made all of the stops and were able to complete a round-trip route in 28 minutes," Hayes added.
Currently, a "flag-and-ride" option allows customers to signal the shuttle drivers when they wish to catch a ride. Kennard said designated shuttle stops are being explored, depending on usage patterns.