BEHIND THE SCENES

Behind the Scenes

In this edition of Behind the Scenes, we take a look at the University Transportation & Parking Services (UTAPS) Shuttle Program, that provides services to students, faculty, staff, and individuals from groups with university affiliation.

Their goal is simple: "To encourage alternative transportation that reduces traffic and congestion on, and around, the campus," said Shuttle Coordinator Gavril Sarcadi. To learn about the program and the students they employ, The FOCUS sat down with Gavril, and Assistant to the Senior Director of UTAPS Freddy Orozco.

Employing more than 20 Sac State students, the Shuttle Program serves as one of the University's leading means of promoting alternative transportation, with routes that travel around campus and extend as far as Arden Fair Mall, Folsom Boulevard, and Fulton Avenue. The Shuttle Program's coverage area allows UTAPS to service a large area surrounding the campus, focusing on student commuters.

Currently, UTAPS runs six shuttles across three routes: the Gold line, Green line, and Hornet line. As ridership grows, UTAPS plans to add more shuttles. These additional vehicles will help back up existing shuttles in the event of a breakdown. UTAPS’s shuttle program continues to be a success, with increased ridership and a high student employment retention rate.

UTAPS has seen a steady increase in the number of riders since 2011. Combined ridership during the fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters was 48,477. The most recent data – fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters – saw 53,362 riders, an increase of 10 percent. UTAPS has themselves to thank for this steady increase, regularly attending new student orientation events, providing informational brochures, and advertising their services online and in the State Hornet newspaper.

Wonder what it takes to ride? Nothing more than a OneCard, which makes the shuttle program a convenient service for students, faculty, and staff alike. Wonder what it takes to drive? Quite a bit more! Of the 21 current student drivers UTAPS currently employs, each is required to pass significant training requirements, including: meeting the academic unit load, as well as GPA and driving record requirements, and passing requisite physical and drug tests, all in addition to earning a Commercial B License issued by the State of California's Department of Motor Vehicles.

Behind-the-wheel training for these student drivers includes scenario-based training, in which drivers are confronted with common problems they might encounter. These scenarios include: riders without proper identification, open containers, improper bicycle storage, as well as rowdy passengers.

Despite these stringent requirements, UTAPS’s shuttle program has one of the highest employee retention rates from year to year. ”It is a testament to the quality of our program,” said Freddy. Many of the student drivers stay on several years, as they work toward completing their degrees. In addition, the starting wage of $12 an hour is one of the highest available to students on campus. “Many students pride themselves on serving their fellow classmates,” added Freddy. “Our flexible schedules allows students to work before class, or work after class.”

Student drivers benefit from the Shuttle Program as well. "They build experience and learn valuable customer service skills," said Gavril. The application of the skills learned behind the wheel also translates to additional opportunities for the students. Northstar California, an alpine resort in Tahoe, CA., has partnered with UTAPS, offering shuttle driving opportunities during the winter months when the academic semester has ended. “They prefer our drivers because of their commitment to safety,” stated Gavril.

This semester, UTAPS expanded routes to include the new Ramona lot expansion, offering several hundred additional parking spots to students. While the Ramona lot did close mid-semester, UTAPS plans to reopen it next semester. In addition, the expanded nursing program has seen ridership on the gold line increase 50 percent compared to last year. “The busiest days are Tuesdays and Thursdays,” said Gavril, coinciding with the general higher student population on campus those days as well.

UTAPS continues to collect statistics to examine their services and seek areas for improvement. If you wish to learn more about the UTAPS Shuttle Program, Gavril and Freddy encourage users to visit the Hornet Shuttle website, which contains maps, routes, and schedules at: http://csus.edu/aba/utaps/hornet-shuttle.html.