A small fraction of Troy students utilize the free transportation services offered on campus and around Troy.
According to Assistant Dean of Student Services Derrick Brewster, “The shuttle service started in 2006 once we received a federal earmark of funds to begin the shuttle service; Dean Herbert Reeves led this effort.
“The funds paid for buses, parking lots, the bus stop and the maintenance shop. After the initial expense, the university has to fund all cost associated with maintaining the buses.”
With shuttles that take you anywhere from your home, to the movies, or to Walmart, the shuttle system strives to cater to the needs of every student.
Many students may not have heard of the shuttle system, but others have used it without knowing what exactly it was.
“I’m guessing it’s to transport people from point A to point B,” said Timothy Lewis, Jr., a sophomore psychology major from Savannah, Georgia. “My friend uses the shuttle from the Square to the campus maybe five days a week. I drive my truck.”
“The goal with our Transportation Service department is to provide a safe avenue of transportations for all affiliates of Troy University,” said Brewster.
During the fall and spring semesters, an average of 400 students use the shuttle service on a daily basis. Summer numbers are significantly lower due to the low number of students enrolled in summer classes.
Catching a ride to the movie theatre that the school provides every other Wednesday for Dollar Movie Night is just one of the many uses that this free transportation system has.
Brewster said, “We assist the International Programs department with transporting our international students to and from the Montgomery airport and Greyhound station.”
“I live on campus. As an Asian student, I don’t have a car,” said Thuy Nguyen, a junior financial economics major from Vietnam. “I need the shuttle to Walmart and get back to school.”
The shopping shuttle, which takes students to Walmart, runs every Monday and Thursday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
During the week, there is the daily shuttle, which consists of three lines.
According to the Trojan Transportation Services page on the Troy website, the Green line “serves northeast and east areas of the community,” the Red line, “serves south areas of the community as well as the interior perimeter of the campus,” and the Blue line, “serves north areas of the community as well as some inner-campus stops.”
“I use the Red line which stops a little ways down from my house,” said Annalise Clem, a sophomore nursing major from Albany, Georgia. “I take it when I’m too lazy to walk, though I do have a car. The parking decals were too expensive and I didn’t have money – this way I get to save money.”
The daily shuttle system runs every half hour, in order to remain convenient for the students.
The Game Day shuttle provides transportation from motels in Troy to the Stadium for all home games.
They leave three hours before kick-off and provide a way to save time on parking and gas. The shuttle is free if picked up at the designated stop.
The shuttle leaves promptly after the game ends and runs for another hour.
For those who have late classes, or activities and meetings, the night shuttle is provided Monday- Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
The shuttle can be caught from the change station in front of the Trojan Center, or called at 334-697-0051.
Not only does the Shuttle Service provide transportation by shuttle, they have also recently collaborated with the Enterprise Company to promote CarSharing. This is a program that allows students and faculty to rent cars by the hour, day, or overnight for an all- inclusive fee.
The cars are on campus and available 24 hours a day, all week.
So whether you live off campus and don’t have a car, live on campus and need to get groceries, or even if you’re just looking to save money on gas, Trojan Transportation services is expanding to meet student needs.
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