Starting on Saturday, April 5, a free express shuttle service will run between Baker-Berry Library and shopping locations in West Lebanon, Dartmouth Student Government announced in an email yesterday.
DSG President Chukwuka Odigbo said in an interview with The Dartmouth that he has heard from many students that there’s a need for “faster transportation” on weekends, as the existing Advance Transit –– a free transit system in the Upper Valley –– makes several stops on the way between campus and West Lebanon shopping locations.
“I took the Advance Transit to the plazas on a Saturday in the past and doing so required carving out a portion of time from the day,” he said. “I’ve heard that specific concern from students quite a bit. Our hope is that this shuttle complements the existing infrastructure: for instance, a student could get to Target or Walmart using our option but then return to campus using the Advance Transit, and vice versa.”
According to a DSG report reviewed by The Dartmouth, the decision to offer the shuttle service was based on qualitative data received by members of DSG.
“We’ve heard that students still face barriers to getting around in the Upper Valley, especially for first year students who are not able to have cars on campus,” the report said.
Elizabeth Coan ’28 said she thought the free express shuttle service program was “good” for transporting freshmen.
“Freshmen can’t have cars,” Coan explained.
Reshmi Anwar ’25 said she would likely not use the shuttle personally because she already has friends with cars, but that she is supportive of the idea.
“It’s a great initiative to get students access they may not have,” Anwar said.
The 14-seater bus will run for about four hours on Saturday afternoon, with the first bus leaving campus at 12 p.m. and the final bus returning to campus around 3:45 p.m., and it will make two stops before returning to campus.
The full route is expected to take around 45 minutes, according to the email. The first stop in West Lebanon will be Target Plaza –– which includes Books-a-Million, Chili’s, JOANN Fabric and Crafts, Sierra, Target and Xfinity, among others –– and the second stop will be Walmart Plaza –– which includes Denny’s, Michael’s, Panera, Price Chopper and Walmart, among others.
The shuttle program, which is currently in trial for the month of April, will cost about $900 per day and will be funded by DSG, according to the DSG report.
“The sticker cost of $900 seems expensive, but we hope that the number of students who use the resource shows it is an important investment in student mobility,” the report says.
According to the report, possible expansion options could include a Sunday bus, longer hours, additional stops and an additional bus.
“If there is a clearly defined student need, in quantity and quality, for express weekend shuttles to areas in the Upper Valley, we hope Dartmouth institutionalizes the project,” the report said.
John Thach ’28 said the free express shuttle service would likely get him to visit West Lebanon more.
“We’ll have transportation that’s going to go right to [West Lebanon], and I don’t really have time to take the [Advance Transit] bus [that stops at other locations],” Thach said.
Jackson Hyde '28 is an intended philosophy major from Los Angeles, California. His interests include photography, meditation, and board game design.
