Student athletes tired of NYC-PLV bus schedule

The University bus schedule from the NYC campus to the PLV campus is causing problems for some students who utilize both campuses.

Students at the NYC campus who need to get to the PLV campus are reliant on the shuttle. The shuttle is the only transportation provided by the University for runs between campuses.

There are three trips from NYC at 12:15 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. to PLV. The last trip back from PLV leaves at 4:10, thus stranding students  who miss it and forcing them to pay for the Metro North.

One of the University's goals listed in the Strategic Plan is to "Establish programs that create interaction among students across campuses – to enhance their awareness and sense of the larger Pace community." Yet, the University makes it harder for NYC students with the bus schedule not working in their favor.

Junior Kathleen Black, who is on the swim team and uses the shuttle every day explains, "I do use the Pace shuttle to Pleasantville about three to four times per week to get to swim practice. I take the 12:15 p.m. shuttle. It is not, however, consistent in that it stops along the way. We are basically taking the mail van. We sometimes stop two to three times along the way to deliver mail to the law school, the grad center and even a mailing office. A couple times we sat at the bus stop at the law school for 10-20 min for no apparent reason. At first, when we didn't make these stops we would get there a little after 1. Now we arrive 1:45 or later, which is an inconvenience since my practice starts at 2."

"It has been a large financial burden to take the Metro North home. As to the needs of other students, I don't know what other times NYC students have practice and or class in PLV but it would seem that NYC students are discouraged to take a class and or play a sport at PLV...  I have students come up to me all the time from both campuses saying they know students from NYC who would love to do a sport but they don't know how to go about doing it. I say to them it is very doable if you are willing to put in the time, but it is currently a very large financial burden that the NYC student/ athlete must carry," Black added. 

Another university that has both an urban campus and suburban campus maintain regular intercollegiate busses is Temple University. Temple runs an inter-collegiate bus from its main campus in downtown Philadelphia to its Ambler campus in Washington, Pa. The distance is very comparable to the distance between campuses at here at the University. Yet, they have buses that leave from 7:00 a.m. to 11:55 p.m. 

The University owns a number of transportation vehicles; students don't understand why they can't extend them for better use for inter-campus transportation. If the University added more times, more students would most likely go out for sport teams or travel to the PLV to have a better sense of the greater University community.

"As of now there is a huge disadvantage to the schedule of shuttles running to and from Pleasantville. If Pace would provide a morning and/ or late afternoon shuttle it would make it easier for NYC students both financially and time wise. I understand that Pace has a budget for transportation and it may be financial burden to add another run. But an increase in transportation and making this increase known to the NYC student body may encourage students to either make the commute to play a sport and bring athletic pride to the NYC campus or take a class there," Black said.

Director of the University's transportation, Francois Crespo, could not be reached for comment.