Justification for DMK004 2010

Justification for DMK004 2010
A Resolution to Support the Creation of a Department of Transportation Services (DOTS) shuttle route to the New Carrollton Metro Station. The resolution Passed 27:11:2.

There has been quite a bit of discussion in regards to the creation of a new DOTS shuttle bus route to New Carrolton metro station. I am happy that students, faculty and staff have voiced their concerns about discontinuing both the Campus Connector North and Campus Connector South bus routes.

The first point of contention is the idea that there once was a shuttle, a few years back to New Carrollton metro. This is correct and the shuttle was discontinued due to the lack of ridership. However, since, DOTS has changed many shuttle routes to the surrounding areas and there are no shuttles to that particular area of prince Georges County. It is both important for sustainability and DOTS that there be less cars on campus, and a shuttle to a new area will help reduce the number of cars on campus. There are also great benefits to a New Carrollton shuttle that include having greater accessibility to the Amtrak, the MARC Penn line, and the metro Orange line.

It is also worth noting that RHA, the voice of on-campus students have taken the position that it may be worthwhile to loose on-campus shuttles in favor of adding one for commuting students, faculty, staff. Ridership on both campus connector busses has been low for quite a while and though the busses serve the campus during the day, the busses do not run frequently enough to be used to reliably go from one area of the campus to another. Though Campus Connector North will be discontinued, the New Carrollton shuttle will stop at various places on Route One, that will run more frequently than Campus Connector South.

Overall, the loss of the campus connector shuttles are a small price to pay in exchange of a new shuttle that will not only save money for commuting individuals, but may serve as a help for individuals whom do not have convenient transformation to campus.


Debbie Kobrin
South Campus Commons Senator
Transportation Advisory Committee Chairperson