Quinnipiac University officials installed a new shuttle cover at the New Road shuttle stop on the Mount Carmel Campus this past week.
The new shuttle covering has overhead lights, electrical outlets, installed Wi-Fi and a heat lamp system.
“One of the things that comes to mind (in regards to students’ safety) is that it has good lighting, which promotes safety,” Chief of Public Safety Tony Reyes said.
There is also a blue light system by the shuttle stop that allows students to have immediate communication with Quinnipiac’s Department of Public Safety.
“We’re happy that the shuttle covers are in,” Reyes said. “It’s one more tool for our students and a way to keep our students safer.”
The cover features a total of eight outlets that line the bottom of the bench inside.
“(It’s) definitely very nice,” sophomore marketing major Jayna Haggart said. “I feel like my phone is always dying and my laptop too. I can sit down and actually charge them while I’m waiting.”
There was no cover at the shuttle stop — which university officials installed over the summer — until Thanksgiving break.
“The shelter was ordered at the beginning of the summer and was scheduled to be installed before student(s) returned in the fall, but the manufacturer claimed that they had trouble sourcing materials, so that delayed the arrival until mid-November,” Sal Filardi, vice president for facilities and capital planning, wrote in a statement to The Chronicle. “We waited a few days until Thanksgiving break, so we could install without disrupting students or shuttle traffic.”
Students had to stand out in the rain, wind and cold before facilities installed the glass infrastructure.
“A couple of times (I) had to wait outside the shuttle stop when all the seats (in a shuttle) were taken up and at times we had to wait out in the rain,” sophomore sport and entertainment management major Adam Shameem said. “Not only does it have the technologies, but also gives students shelter in the inclement conditions that we can have here on campus.”
The heating system comprises two heating lamps which are turned on by a green button above the benches. Once the button is pressed, the heat lamps turn on with a timer and will shut off after a certain amount of time to conserve heat.
Filardi said there is no plan to add this technology to the stops on the York Hill Campus.
“Because this was a replacement, we are not presently looking at other shelters,” Filardi said.
This project cost approximately $20,000, according to Filardi. This includes the added technological features.
“I think (the shuttle cover) is a good improvement,” sophomore media studies major Alyssa Palmer said. “However, I do think that there’s a lot of other issues that (money) can be put into. Everyone talks about parking, air conditioning — stuff like that.”
The Mount Carmel Campus shuttle stop has been relocated twice within the past three years. Moving the shuttle stop and adding the cover is a part of the South Quad construction plan.
“We’re looking forward to the additional changes as the construction comes to an end,” Reyes said. “As the new buildings open up, there’ll obviously be more communication about how we can improve shuttle service to those areas as well.”
