MCCC extends shuttle into spring semester

Montgomery County Community College, one of GVF's partners, will continue its pilot transportation shuttle program between its Central and West campuses for the spring 2011 semester, which runs from Jan. 19-May 11. The shuttle, which is managed by GVF, enables students to travel back and forth between campuses for classes and activities.


The shuttle pilot was rolled out on September 1, free of charge to the College’s students during the current fall semester. Students can continue to ride the shuttle for free through the spring semester extension.  The College is also adding Fridays to its shuttle schedule for the spring, with five departures per day from each campus between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., starting and ending at the West Campus in Pottstown.

MCCC Shuttle Kick-Off Press Event: (From left to right) Student Calvin Wang, Student Nicole Weising, Sue Kopystecki of TransNet, MCCC Vice President of IT Celeste Schwartz, MCCC Facilities Manager George Shal, GVF Assistant Director Maureen Farrell, MCCC President Karen A. Stout, Jennie Duffy of GVF and Jacqueline McClure of GVF.

MCCC and GVF are extremely happy with the success of the shuttle thus far, which is averaging approximately 115 rides per week at the mid-point of the current fall semester. Extending the pilot for the spring will enable the College to gather more accurate ridership data, as students can plan their spring semester course schedules around the shuttle’s departure times.

The shuttle, which is operated by Suburban Transit Network (TransNet), can accommodate up for 14 passengers, is wheelchair accessible, and is equipped with Wi-Fi. Each run will take 45 to 50 minutes, with rush hour runs taking up to one hour.

The shuttle pilot ties into the College’s Sustainability and Students Success initiatives.

Since signing the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007, the College has put into place policies and procedures that reduce its carbon footprint. The shuttle program has the potential to reduce vehicle usage by up to 3,900 miles daily if the bus operates each trip at full capacity.

GVF has been assisting MCCC with reducing its carbon footprint by sitting on their Transportation Committee.  The shuttle is just one of the initiatives we are assisting them with.  If you are interested in learning more about the services GVF can provide, such as shuttle management and/or assistance with your greening initiatives, please contact Maureen Farrell at 610-354-8899.