New shuttle service offered to commuting students
Instead of commuting to campus and searching for parking spaces, Wake Forest students can soon “Ride the Wake,” leaving their cars at home.
“Ride the Wake” is the slogan for the University’s expanded shuttle bus service called The Wake Line. Starting Oct. 5, it will provide free, reliable and convenient transportation between campus and five nearby apartment complexes — Alaris Village, Crowne Oak, Crowne Park, Crowne Polo and Deacon Ridge — while making the campus a little “greener.”
The University expanded the service after hearing from students experiencing more difficulty than ever this fall finding a parking space, said Jim Alty, associate vice president for facilities and campus services. The situation is especially challenging for commuting students driving onto campus when most spaces are filled.
Finding spaces grew more difficult this fall with the construction of a new residence hall on Memory Lane, Alty said.
“Students have been frustrated with the fact that even though their apartment complex is a mere five minutes away, they have to leave much earlier to find a parking spot,” said Student Government President Meghan Haenn. “The shuttle will allow them to enjoy the short commute and hop right off and walk to class. We’ll even be able to study on the way to school. You can always use a couple of extra minutes to study, right?”
Taking the shuttles is also the green thing to do.
“With an estimated 420 undergraduate students commuting to campus from the five apartment complexes, the pollution generated is substantial,” said Dedee Delongpre Johnston, Wake Forest’s sustainability director. “Every 10 students who choose to ride the shuttle for the year will save about 50 metric tons of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere. We would need to plant 1,400 tree seedlings and let them grow for 10 years to take the same amount of pollution out of the air.”
Taking the shuttle is “green” in another way. If the students turn in their parking decal by Oct. 30, their University account will be credited for the full decal cost. Students who turn in their decals after that date will receive a prorated portion of their decal fee. Students will also get a free off-campus satellite parking decal, allowing them to park on campus in the evening (5 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. weekdays).
On campus, the bus will pick up and drop off students at the intersection of Wingate and Wake Forest roads, where the city bus stop is located.
The University will continue operating a campus shuttle bus dedicated to an intra-campus loop.
Related links
- For details on the expanded shuttle service, including its schedule, go to: www.wfu.edu/ridethewake.
Categories: Environment & Sustainability, Experiential Learning, University Announcements
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