Although many Northwestern students turn to the University’s free Intercampus Shuttle for a lift between Evanston and Chicago, frustrations, from fluctuating arrival times to no Sunday service, remain.
Still, many students believe that the shuttle is beneficial to campus life.
Communication freshman Ellie Richards said she regularly used the shuttle during Winter Quarter to travel between North and South Campus.
“Sometimes it’ll have an accurate time, but it’ll just keep changing. Also, in the winter, it might be in higher demand,” Richards said. “I think it’s a really good resource to have as just a free way to save a lot of time, because we’re all really busy here.”
Despite the frequent delays, Richards said that the shuttle still saves significant time when it comes to traveling from one end of campus to another.
Weinberg sophomore Irene Ha said she used the shuttle four times a week during her freshman year, often relying on it to avoid long walks to North Campus from Main Library.
She acknowledges that delays are part of the experience, but appreciates how the shuttle’s app, TripShot, keeps students informed of those delays.
“There’s definitely been times when it just keeps delaying, but part of using the app is knowing it won’t always be on time,” Ha said. “If it’s delayed enough to make you miss something, there’s a red warning on the app.”
Despite the drawbacks, Weinberg freshman Maya Raman said she still sees the shuttle as essential for campus life.
Raman said she uses the Intercampus Shuttle twice a week to commute to the lab she works in at Feinberg.
“I think the app is really accurate,” Raman said. “If the Intercampus is delayed, it lets you know approximately what time it will be delayed. It’s never been an issue to get to Chicago on time from Evanston.”
However, for Raman, the shuttle’s accessibility is another issue. She said she recognizes that the shuttle is mainly used by graduate students who need to travel between classes on the Evanston and Chicago campuses, and she said that there should be more weekend shuttles.
As a student, she said, it would be easier to go into Chicago on the weekends using the Intercampus Shuttle, especially on Sundays. However, the shuttle is currently not offered on Sundays.
While students may have suggestions to improve the Intercampus Shuttle, many agree it remains an indispensable resource.
“I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to get around with less energy,” Ha said.
Email: jennyjang2028@u.northwestern.edu
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