Boise State’s campus has become increasingly busy with foot and car traffic. The shuttle bus system on campus is a reliable and affordable option offered to students, although the student body as a whole may overlook it.
With the increasing student population, getting around campus takes longer and can be hard to plan for, whereas the campus loop shuttle route only takes 10 minutes to reach every stop around campus.
Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants at Boise State University grew by 3.2% and admissions grew by 3.27%.
Not only do the shuttles work to provide transportation, but they also help students with their education by easing transportation arrangements and getting students to class on time.
Gabriel Martinez, a Boise State shuttle bus driver, has been driving Boise State campus shuttles for about six years. He typically drives the blue on-campus route.
“During the semester, the bus routes are busier than the summer,” Martinez said. “But they are pretty steady, and I think they’re still underused.”
Martinez enjoys his job because of the people he gets to meet and the things he learns about them along the drives.
“My favorite thing about working here is probably the optimism,” Martinez said. “Everyone who takes the bus is working towards something, and it’s fun driving people who have so much optimism about being here.”
Taya Thornton | The Arbiter
Martinez also believes that more students should take advantage of the system because it helps Boise State students succeed in timeliness and efficiency.
“There is a tendency that some people don’t realize you can just jump on and ride for free,” Martinez said. “Don’t be afraid to get on and take advantage of the systems provided.”
Haylie Peterson, a junior at Boise State studying sociology, uses the shuttle bus for transportation to and from work since she didn’t come to college with a car.
“It’s a good way to avoid the long walk to work early in the morning,” Peterson said. “Also it’s reliable, inexpensive and better for the environment too.”
Shuttle buses help lower car traffic on campus, but they also keep the community healthy and clean, helping the overall local community.
Compared to driving alone, taking public transportation reduces CO2 emissions by 45%, decreasing pollutants in the atmosphere and improving air quality.
There is also a strong connection between public transportation and personal health, including both physical and mental health.
Public transportation also influences health because most public transportation users walk or bike to access public transportation.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 29% of respondents to the National Household Travel Survey in 2001 reached 30 minutes of daily exercise through walking to or from public transportation.
The Bronco shuttles run on a loop. The Blue (on-campus) and Orange (downtown) routes run 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters while the gray route runs 7 a.m. to noon. The routes run Monday through Friday and there is a live shuttle link on Boise State’s transportation website. Shuttle routes and hours vary during the summer semesters.
