As school begins many students wonder how to get from one campus to another or even how to get to school all semester. Madison College Student Senate is invested in providing options to students for transportation needs to help ensure their academic success. The Senate firmly believes that transportation should be the least of a student’s worry when considering options for school and impact on success. Current Student Senate President Colin Bowden said “Our shuttles, bike clinics and bus passes have been integral to student success, so it’s incumbent on us as Senate to keep them strong.”

Commuter options for students continue to grow. However, funding for these initiatives does partially comes from student fees.  Each Fall and Spring semester students taking degree credit courses are assessed a $46 fee for Commuter Services. The summer session fee is reduced to $26 due to the shorter duration. This supplemental fee goes toward the bus, para-transit, parking and shuttle program.

Students enrolled in degree credit courses can obtain a bus pass at no extra charge from the Student Life Office at the Truax Main Building or the Downtown center. Bus passes allow students to ride the Madison Metro Bus system throughout the semester.  Students should carry their OneCard with them as bus drivers may request to see a school ID when using their bus pass. The Campus-to-Campus shuttle program runs East and West shuttles. The East shuttle picks up outside of the new Gateway entrance and goes to the Downtown campus with times posted on the Madison College Commuter Services website. The West shuttle runs from the Downtown campus to the West campus with times also posted online.

Both shuttles operate Monday through Friday during the semester, including final exam week. Students simply present their OneCard in order to ride the shuttle. The East shuttle is equipped with a bike rack so that students may easily transport their bicycles between campuses when they ride the shuttle. Senate continues to work on shuttle options assessing ridership on the different campuses and improve all commuter services. “They’re [shuttles] a great example of work done that we benefit from but don’t always consider the history of – the legacy is critical and deserves our follow through,” said Bowden.

In addition to these formal programs, Senate has also worked on initiatives for other transportation options including B-cycle, the red bikes, which riders can use a bike for up to thirty minutes before checking the bike back into a B-cycle station. Essentially, a bike can be rented to get around and then returned when the rider gets to his/her destination. Senate is currently working with the B-cycle group to increase red bike stands between the Downtown campus and Truax. For more information on transportation options, students can visit the Commuter Services page on the college’s website or they can stop by the Senate office for more information.