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Shuttle service to link SHSU, The Woodlands
By KASSIA MICEK
Soaring gas prices have prompted local education and government officials to press forward with a bus service linking Sam Houston State University and locations in Montgomery County, with Monday marking the launch of the service.
The SAM Shuttle, a partnership between Sam Houston State University, Lone Star College-Montgomery, The Woodlands Township, Conroe and Shenandoah, will begin Monday with stops at the Portofino Shopping Center, LSC-Montgomery, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the Outlets at Conroe and SHSU’s Johnson Coliseum and Bowers Stadium west parking lot.
“Because of the increased price of gas, the interest in public transportation has increased drastically,” said Lyle Nelson, vice president of the Brazos Transit District, which will run the two shuttle buses. “This is something we’ve been planning for years to link up Walker and Montgomery counties.”
An estimated 6,000 to 9,000 riders are expected every month, he said.
A one-way fare costs $4 with a round trip ticket selling at $8.
“Given the gas prices being what they are, the $8 round trip would be an incentive,” said Richard Eglsaer, SHSU associate provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We’re afraid we’d have students who would decide not to come here because they couldn’t afford the gas to get here.”
Of SHSU’s nearly 17,000 students, nearly 2,700 live in The Woodlands alongside nearly 250 faculty members, he said.
LSC-Montgomery student Stephanie Whitney, 18, plans to ride the shuttle to visit friends at SHSU.
“I think it’s pretty cool that they have this,” she said. “It’s an awesome way to get from here to there and it’s less driving for me.”
LSC-Montgomery students across Montgomery County can use the shuttle to get to and from classes.
“There are a lot of students that live in South Montgomery County that go to Sam and Lone Star College-Montgomery,” said Steve Sumner, The Woodlands Township vice president. “It’s a way of getting students to the learning institutions.”
While the primary users are expected to be SHSU students, faculty and staff members, the shuttles will be open to the public.
“We see more than just students using it, but also people up here who want to get down there,” Eglsaer said.
The 57-passenger shuttle buses will run from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday with a reduced schedule on Fridays.
LSC-Montgomery officials hope the shuttle will free up parking as well.
“We hope it will alleviate some of the parking congestion going on around campus and it’ll give students another option to get to school,” said Steve Scheffler, LSC-Montgomery college relations dean.
For the first two weeks, LSC-Montgomery students can pay when they board the bus, but after that tickets must be purchased on campus, he said.
Tickets are currently available for purchase at SHSU, according to an SHSU press release.
Bus riders aren’t the only people who will benefit, Sumner said.
“This effort helps in taking cars off the road,” Sumner said.
Each participating partner will set aside $33,000 toward the SAM SHuttle for expenses should fees from riders not cover all of the financial needs, Sumner said.
For a complete schedule, visit www.shsu.edu/samshuttle/schedule.html.
More info:
The SAM SHuttle will begin operations Monday with stops at the Portofino Shopping Center, Lone Star College-Montgomery, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the Outlets at Conroe and SHSU’s Johnson Coliseum and Bowers Stadium west parking lot.
The SAM Shuttle, a partnership between Sam Houston State University, Lone Star College-Montgomery, The Woodlands Township, Conroe and Shenandoah, will begin Monday with stops at the Portofino Shopping Center, LSC-Montgomery, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the Outlets at Conroe and SHSU’s Johnson Coliseum and Bowers Stadium west parking lot.
“Because of the increased price of gas, the interest in public transportation has increased drastically,” said Lyle Nelson, vice president of the Brazos Transit District, which will run the two shuttle buses. “This is something we’ve been planning for years to link up Walker and Montgomery counties.”
An estimated 6,000 to 9,000 riders are expected every month, he said.
A one-way fare costs $4 with a round trip ticket selling at $8.
“Given the gas prices being what they are, the $8 round trip would be an incentive,” said Richard Eglsaer, SHSU associate provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We’re afraid we’d have students who would decide not to come here because they couldn’t afford the gas to get here.”
Of SHSU’s nearly 17,000 students, nearly 2,700 live in The Woodlands alongside nearly 250 faculty members, he said.
LSC-Montgomery student Stephanie Whitney, 18, plans to ride the shuttle to visit friends at SHSU.
“I think it’s pretty cool that they have this,” she said. “It’s an awesome way to get from here to there and it’s less driving for me.”
LSC-Montgomery students across Montgomery County can use the shuttle to get to and from classes.
“There are a lot of students that live in South Montgomery County that go to Sam and Lone Star College-Montgomery,” said Steve Sumner, The Woodlands Township vice president. “It’s a way of getting students to the learning institutions.”
While the primary users are expected to be SHSU students, faculty and staff members, the shuttles will be open to the public.
“We see more than just students using it, but also people up here who want to get down there,” Eglsaer said.
The 57-passenger shuttle buses will run from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday with a reduced schedule on Fridays.
LSC-Montgomery officials hope the shuttle will free up parking as well.
“We hope it will alleviate some of the parking congestion going on around campus and it’ll give students another option to get to school,” said Steve Scheffler, LSC-Montgomery college relations dean.
For the first two weeks, LSC-Montgomery students can pay when they board the bus, but after that tickets must be purchased on campus, he said.
Tickets are currently available for purchase at SHSU, according to an SHSU press release.
Bus riders aren’t the only people who will benefit, Sumner said.
“This effort helps in taking cars off the road,” Sumner said.
Each participating partner will set aside $33,000 toward the SAM SHuttle for expenses should fees from riders not cover all of the financial needs, Sumner said.
For a complete schedule, visit www.shsu.edu/samshuttle/schedule.html.
More info:
The SAM SHuttle will begin operations Monday with stops at the Portofino Shopping Center, Lone Star College-Montgomery, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the Outlets at Conroe and SHSU’s Johnson Coliseum and Bowers Stadium west parking lot.
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