Students picked up or passed up
By Elizabeth Jensen
Nov. 22, 2005 9:00 p.m.
It is 8:30 a.m. as students converge on the Campus Express stop
along Weyburn Avenue, coffee cups in one hand and books in the
other.
Every day some of those students are left at the stop as the
shuttle pulls away, filled to the brim with students standing
shoulder-to-shoulder.
The Campus Express offers students a free method to get to
campus from Westwood, but recent overcrowding has caused some
students to get left behind.
The shuttle runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on a route beginning at
the Weyburn Terrace graduate student housing in Westwood, traveling
up Westwood Boulevard and along the east side of campus past the
law school, then heading west along Charles E. Young Drive South
toward the residence halls.
After the last three units of Weyburn Terrace opened over the
summer, the number of students riding the Campus Express to class
in the morning increased to the point of overflowing the shuttle,
Campus Express driver Ramiro Gonzalez said.
“Most of the students come from the new dorms at Weyburn
Terrace and get off at the School of Law around Murphy,”
Gonzalez said. After the summer, more students arrived, and more
people were unable to fit on the bus, Gonzalez added.
First-year law student David Donald said he has never been left
behind but has witnessed people being left at the stop.
UCLA Transportation Services is looking at ways to address the
problem.
“We are aware of the problem; we’re trying to
rectify it now. We’re in the process of hiring more drivers
and buying more buses,” said Catherine Ercillo, transit
dispatch with UCLA Fleet Services.
She said the huge increase in the number of students using the
Weyburn stop has created unexpected problems with the shuttle
services, such as overcrowding and students being unable to find a
spot on the buses.
The overcrowding is a problem only at certain times of day,
following predictable rush-hour patterns.
“Usually the most crowding is in the morning, lunchtime
and around five at night. It’s kind of like traffic
flows,” said first-year political science doctoral student
Florence Akinyemi.
Many students agree that the shuttle crowding is inconvenient
and consistent, but they are also understanding of the situation
and willing to adjust in order to get to class on time.
“It’s not usually a big deal if people show up early
enough,” Donald said.
Donald said he changed his habits to get to the stop on time and
ensure he has space on the shuttle. He said since the law school is
on the semester system, law students started early in September.
Before the arrival of the other students, he was able to leave 10
minutes later for the shuttle.
Students also felt a general good will towards the shuttle
system, and to the drivers in particular.
“This year is definitely more crowded, but honestly, I
think the bus drivers do their best to get people on. It’s
just sometimes they can’t, especially in the morning,”
said second-year law student Gloria Labbad.
Even for students who are able to fit on the shuttle in the
morning, it is often standing-room only.
“Among law students it’s really unpleasant because
we have quite a lot of luggage,” said second-year law student
Malika Chatterji. “For any student who has a lot of luggage,
it’s hard to stand.”
Students have ideas about how to improve the campus shuttle,
including adding more buses in the morning and posting times for
when the shuttle arrives, a plan which is being discussed,
according to Ercillo.
Some students said they liked improvements that Transportation
Services has implemented recently, such as the Nite Express, which
runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, along a route
which rims the perimeter of campus and then travels down to Weyburn
Terrace.
“I do like the Night Shuttle, so if you want to study in
the library you can at least get home safely,” Akinyemi said.
“And it’s hardly ever crowded.”
