Skyline College was awarded a two-year grant to establish free non-stop, round trip shuttle service between the Daly City BART station and the campus, thanks to the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (TA) and the City and County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG). The organizations approved the grant submitted by the San Mateo County Community College District for Skyline College in response to the San Mateo County Shuttle Program Call for Projects at their May board meetings.
The “Skyline College Express” shuttle service will launch August 2016, just in time for the start of fall semester classes on August 17, 2016. The shuttle will run every hour from 7:25 a.m. to 6:44 p.m., Mondays to Fridays. The 28-person shuttle service will be open to students, faculty and staff as well as community members who utilize the services available on campus such as SparkPoint, the Library and Veterans Resource Center. Those who come to campus to attend performing arts, athletics, guest lectures or other college events can avail of this convenient service.
Initial discussions on the project began in 2013 at the first annual Success Summit hosted by the President’s Council where a breakout session entitled, “The Last Mile” spurred much enthusiasm. This discussion demonstrated a clear need for a solution to the problem of transportation to and from campus from major transit hubs. A comprehensive transportation survey conducted in 2014, highlighted that due to the long travel time and lack of convenience, 67% of students and 74% of faculty and staff drive alone to the campus or have someone drive them. Implementation of the shuttle program will create convenient first / last mile connections for more than 5,000 students and employees residing in Daly City, San Francisco, and East Bay vicinities, representing close to half of the campus population.
The shuttle program will support students in getting to campus in a timely fashion at no cost, helping to mitigate socio-economic barriers to education and decrease commute times. Potential students who otherwise had no means of transportation to attend college will now have access to world-class educational opportunities, with approximately 100 degrees and certificates to choose from, for only $46 per unit.
Article by Cherie Colin
