By Josh Hughes
Thanks to Western’s Student Transportation Program, it is now possible to live-track late night shuttle buses.
Through either a website or mobile-friendly app, students can now download the Shuttle Tracker to locate when their bus should be arriving. While the late night, or “drunk” busses have always operated on a tight schedule, the application now allows students to get live updates on the actual time of arrival.
Created through Ride Systems, a company with over 300 partners in the country, the app first lets you select which route you are taking. Next, you can see the nearest bus travelling in real time, so you can know exactly when the bus will show up. Think of it like Uber, except for a free service that runs every half an hour.
On the application, students have the option to switch between all routes and only those that are currently active. Upon selecting a route, the next two shuttles of the night become visible, and all of the stops show up with their exact times. As the shuttle gets closer to arrival, the tracker becomes active and live updates its actual ETA. It’s convenient for those of us who don’t want to be stuck in the rain for longer than we need to, or those who are scared that another Western alert has gone under the radar and someone is creeping around N Garden.
The Late Night Student Shuttle is available 7 days a week when classes are in session, and it’s free for students with valid I.D. cards. Students may bring one guest on the shuttle with them. There are two routes to the shuttle, one of which circles North Campus and goes to downtown, the other of which caters to South Campus. Both go across I-5 by Fred Meyer’s and NXNW.
Shuttles run Monday through Saturday 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., and Sunday 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The app is available and can be accessed through http://www.wwu.edu/transportation/westernstudentshuttle.shtml, or on the App Store by searching “Ride Systems”. Once the app is downloaded, you need to enter Western Washington University and the app updates to only show shuttles from Western.