Since the beginning of the fall semester, the intercampus shuttle averaged 205.6 weekly riders departing from Armstrong, with students citing various reasons for using the service.

Introduced in August 2019, the intercampus shuttle provides free transportation for students, faculty and staff between the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses. While the service operates on a first-come, first-served basis, the buses typically do not reach full capacity.

Derrick Davis, director of Parking & Transportation Services, noted that the bus is most occupied at 8:15 a.m., which is the earliest time students at Armstrong can board.

Jayelle Pullom, a senior interior design major at Armstrong, commutes to Statesboro daily using the shuttle.

“I usually wake up and try to get ready to take the 8:15. On a day like Tuesday, where my class starts at 12:20, the (11:15) bus gets there exactly at 12:20, so I’m usually constantly late to that class,” Pullom said.

For Pullom, the choice to ride the shuttle is financially motivated.

“Yeah, since I’m not really someone who likes driving for a long time, especially, and then you know, mileage and gas.”

“I have classes in Statesboro for the engineering program, the upper-level classes are on the Statesboro campus and I don’t live there now,” said Jalen Wilson, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major who also uses the shuttle daily.

While Wilson uses the shuttle out of need, he also sees its benefits for others.

“It definitely is convenient, as far as I’m traveling, because not only is gas something for people that are driving there, but sometimes, you just don’t have the energy to, so that way you ride the bus and you’re going to stay so you could you know either just relax or take a quick nap on the bus,” said Wilson.

“It’s a necessity since I don’t have a car and I have classes in Statesboro that I have to get to,” said Akira Neal, a junior fashion design major, who boards the bus every Tuesday and Thursday.

“When the bus gets there, I get to my class exactly on time,” Neal said, adding, “I wish there were more times the bus came.”

The shuttle departs from and returns to the Armstrong campus four times daily, with a 24-passenger capacity per ride, accommodating up to 96 passengers daily.

The bus has a 42.8 percent utilization rate for Armstrong departures, from Aug 14- Sept 30. This figure was derived by dividing the weekly average of 205.6 passengers by the five operational days, then dividing by the shuttle’s daily capacity of 96 and multiplying by 100.

Last year, the university reported a total enrollment of 25,506 students and 985 full-time faculty and staff. The shuttle data do not differentiate between these groups, leaving the specific usage by students, faculty and staff unclear.

The university stated in a 2019 press release that the service promotes more sustainable practices by reducing the number of cars on the road.

Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero said, “By taking advantage of this service, we become closer to serving the entirety of a region as one Georgia Southern.”