Loyola cancels Sunday shuttle service to Broadway campus

Residential+Life+has+placed+flyers+around+Cabra+Hall%2C+informing+students+that+the+shuttle+service+no+longer+runs+on+Sundays.+Some+students+are+frustrated+with+the+inconvenience+that+makes+it+difficult+to+main+campus.+Photo+credit%3A+Mairead+Cahill

Residential Life has placed flyers around Cabra Hall, informing students that the shuttle service no longer runs on Sundays. Some students are frustrated with the inconvenience that makes it difficult to main campus. Photo credit: Mairead Cahill

Mairead Cahill

The university has canceled shuttles to and from the Broadway campus on Sundays, leaving residents who were already dissatisfied with an “inconvenient” shuttle service even more frustrated.

One student even described the sometimes unreliable shuttle service as “crippling” to attendance grades.

The shuttle service previously operated seven days a week, taking students to and from the Broadway campus. The cancellation of Sunday rides is a new development in what was already a long list of complaints residents had about the service.

“It’s very inconvenient,” Skye Ray, mass communication sophomore and Cabra resident, said. “People have study groups on Sundays, people have to get their meals.”

Since the decision at the start of the month to cut Sunday service, the 163 residents that live in Cabra have been left without free transportation to the main campus where they can use their meal plans and access other on-campus facilities.

Some reached out to SGA to voice their concerns and senators are now looking into the complaints to see how they can be addressed.

“Regarding the Cabra shuttle system, the issue was recently brought to our attention and we are currently in the process of assigning senators to research the issue before moving forward with any legislation,” Blane Mader, SGA vice president, said. “If students feel like their voices aren’t being heard it’s likely that they aren’t being directed through the correct channels. Students should contact their on-campus senators in SGA and should come to senate meetings in order to have their voices heard.”

In addition to being upset about the cancellation of Sunday shuttles, some residents have voiced concerns that the day-to-day operation of the shuttles is not reliable.

“I think it needs to be brought to attention that the shuttle schedule is not being followed whatsoever by certain drivers and that’s very important because you’re messing with people’s class attendance,” Asha Thomas, Cabra residential assistant, said. “I’ve literally missed the shuttle because a driver has left two or three minutes early.”

Thomas also expressed concern that the current shuttle schedule does not always safely accommodate the number of students needing a ride.

“There needs to be another shuttle honestly. I sat in people’s laps twice last week. I tell LUPD every time I’ve got to sit in someone’s lap: who do I need to write to get another shuttle?” she said.

Thomas added that the quality of service is not only inconvenient, but also harmful to residents’ education.

“Cabra has its disadvantages, like you’re off campus and you have to walk and everything but it shouldn’t be crippling to your attendance, it shouldn’t affect your grades that you live in Cabra and I think it is for some people. It’s affecting their attendance grades,” she said.

Nikolina Camaj, Cabra Hall director, uses the shuttle alongside her residents and other Loyola staff and calls it “an important service to our campus”.

“I would encourage those students who wish to use the shuttle at this time to leave earlier during a peak time to ensure they have seats on the shuttle so that they can be on time for class,” she said.

Camaj said any concerns or feedback that students have should be directed toward University Police.