Due to a recent increase in ridership, the SHUFLY has extended its hours of operation and is currently test running a second shuttle on Saturdays.
"The extended hours are a permanent change unless ridership dictates otherwise," Parking Services Manager Ann Szipszky said. "As for the second shuttle on Saturday, we will be running that for a few weeks and gauging usage to make sure that both shuttles are being utilized and not just driving around empty,"
According to Szipszky, the test run and review will continue for a few weeks and then a decision will be made if the second Saturday shuttle is needed permanently.
All potential changes to the SHUFLY's schedule are based on a number of factors.
"Things like ridership, demand, safety and resources are all looked at so that we can offer the best service possible," Szipszky said. "We are always reviewing the way SHUFLY runs and is operated."
The second shuttle was offered on University Day, though Szipszky said that it was not a factor in determining when the second shuttle would be offered. Instead, the shuttle was offered because of the increased ridership on Saturdays.
Szispzky said that ridership is still growing. She also added that Saturdays have the greatest ridership increase, hence the added SHUFLY shuttle.
The SHUFLY hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday have been extended until 2:00 a.m. Service on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday previously ended at 10:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the hours were extended until 2:30 a.m. Service on Thursday had previously ended at 2:00 a.m., 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, according to Szipszky.
The CASE van, which goes within a one-half a mile radius of campus where SHUFLY does not run and leaves from the Department of Public Safety and Security, also had their hours extended.
According to Szipszky, at the beginning of the semester, the CASE van ran from 5:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
"On Sept. 16 those hours were extended until 12:30 a.m.," Szipszky said. "When the SHUFLY schedule was recently extended, the CASE van hours were again extended to better coincide with the SHUFLY hours, bringing CASE to their current hours of operation from 5:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m."
Both the CASE van and SHUFLY are available seven days a week.
Sophomore Kristen Napolitano, an Ora Manor resident who commutes to campus via the SHUFLY, said that she had not noticed a large amount of overcrowding on the shuttle, except on Thursday and Friday afternoons.
However, Napolitano was happy about the extended hours in regards to her commute.
"They have helped because my friends and I are able to get back and forth from Ora to campus at convenient times," Napolitano said. "The extended hours also make me feel safe and secure, knowing I will have a ride back home even late at night."
All of the SHUFLY schedules, including the two shuttles on Saturday, are available online.
Brittany Biesiada can be reached at brittany.biesiada@student.shu.edu.
