For students who commute by car and the T, change is afoot. University shuttle bus routes have significantly changed and the Campus Center garage will be opening, all just in time for the start of a new academic year.
Effective Sept. 1, buses will drop off students, staff, and faculty at the Campus Center. This is part of an ongoing effort to emphasize the Campus Center as UMass Boston’s new “front door.”
The “Route 1” bus, which previously traveled from the JFK/UMass station to the Quinn Building, now travels express to the Campus Center, where many student-orientated offices moved to from Quinn last spring, such as the Registrar, the Bursar’s Office, and Admissions, among others. The shuttle bus will stop 110 feet away from the Campus Center entrance.
“Route 2” remains largely unchanged, except for the added stop at the Campus Center. It will continue to stop at the Quinn Building, the Massachusetts Archives, and JFK Library, before heading back to JFK/UMass via Mount Vernon Street.
In order to keep the “headway” – the time it takes for the bus to get from the T station or back – down, an extra $400,000 is being spent for two additional buses, according to Parking and Transportation officials.
“Route 1” buses will continue to come every three to six minutes during the peak periods from 7am to 10am and 3pm to 6pm. There is a “very moderate” peak at lunch time, say Parking and Transportation officials, leading to a four to six minute headway.
“Pretty much, you step off the train and there’s a bus there,” said Christopher Rivard, Parking and Transportation assistant manager, of the morning hours.
At evenings, after 7pm, the bus will come every 9 minutes, down from last year’s time of every 12 minutes. The “Route 2” bus comes every 20 minutes.
The MBTA also has two bus routes that stop at UMass: “Route 8,” which goes to Kenmore Square, and “Route 16,” which travels to Forest Hills. Both their pick up and drop off areas remain by the Quinn Building.
“Route 8,” which also stops at the Ruggles and Dudley Stations, as well as the B.U. Medical Center, comes nearly every fifteen minutes on weekdays, according to the MBTA website. “Route 16” stops at Uphams Corner and Andrew Station, allegedly coming every fifteen to twenty minutes.
For those commuting to UMass by car, there will be the added convenience of parking at the Campus Center garage, which opens Sept. 7. This will finally connect the entire garage system between buildings and the upper and lower levels.
“It’s one system again,” said Stephan Chait, associate vice chancellor of administration and finance.
Though the Campus Center opened in April, the garage had been delayed due to modifications that were needed to make it accessible for high-top vans. Signage also needed to be installed, as well as an automatic gate.
“We just wanted to get it right,” said Chait, adding that there was little pressure to open it since it was summertime.
There are 166 parking spaces total, with 37 spaces ($650 each) reserved on a first-come, first serve basis. Five spaces are available for handicapped persons, and 2 for handicapped vans.
Though there are a total of 2,226 usable parking spaces on campus, the first two months of the semester always create problems of overflow, with Wednesdays being the peak days.
Overflow parking is available at the JFK Library, the Bayside Exposition Center, St. Christopher’s Church, and the John McCormack School, all on Mt. Vernon Street.