By Gavin Lapaille
Riding a shuttle is nothing new for University of Louisville students. Most do it everyday to and from classes.
Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium provides parking for students close to campus and the shuttle cuts down on the time spent traveling from PJCS to campus and back.
The sad part is days where students want to go to PJCS – when the U of L football team is playing at home – there isn’t any other way to get us there, other than walking.
I’m all for extra exercise, but a shuttle should transport students from campus to PJCS and Freedom Hall on game days.
This will be especially important when the new arena is finished. Parking downtown can be a nightmare, and U of L would do its entire student body a favor by providing a shuttle.
It doesn’t have to wait that long however. I see students walking all the time to Freedom Hall and PJCS when the Cards are playing at home. Wouldn’t it be safer and more efficient if there were something that would drop off students right in front of the arena?
“I would definitely ride a shuttle to the games,” said Steven Hibbs, a senior political science major. “Louisville’s athletic department is growing all the time, and as we grow, we need to give priority to the students.”
Northwestern University has a shuttle system in place for students wanting to go to their games. Those with a student ID can ride the free shuttle to the football and basketball stadiums, lowering the amount of students walking to the games. Rutgers and Miami (Fla.) also have free shuttle systems.
A shuttle system would cut down on traffic leaving games, and keep students from having to pay the high prices associated with parking close to the arenas. It could work the same way the normal shuttle system operates. Students gather at a location on campus, and a bus comes and picks them up and drops them off at the game.
Putting in a shuttle system would show students the athletic department cares about them, which in return could help increase student spirit. It would also boost attendance for games that aren’t as high profile once the stadium is built downtown.
It’s the students who usually care most about this university, and the university needs to show it cares equally about them.
