Different Perks for On-Campus and Off-Campus Shuttle Services

By: Brian Davis

Carolina Shuttle transports an average of 5,000 people around campus each day – but it does not take everyone. Copper Beech Townhomes Communities, LLC has an off-campus “touché`” to the campus system – making fewer stops on campus, but carting its residents to Five Points on the weekends.

USC’s system operates 10 buses that hold 30 – 40 students and drive students around campus from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, then resume for the Evening shuttle from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m, according to Nelson Newbill, Operations Manager of Carolina Shuttle and Special Events.

The on-campus system offers six different daytime routes that span most of campus - including the Greek Village, Pendleton Street Parking Garage, near the edge of Five Points, Bates House and the John E. Swearingen Engineering Center.

“It’s good for everybody,” said Newbill, who later continued, “It saves them time in trying to find a parking space on campus.”

Meter parking spots are rarely available on campus during midday. USC checks its meters from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and checks 15-minute meters – signified by red paint – from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. Nelson says students will make it to class on time if they use a USC parking facility and expect to wait up to 10 to 15 minutes for a shuttle.

Copper Beech decided to offer a shuttle when it first purchased the property. The shuttle leaves Copper Beech at the top of each hour and drops students at the Swearingen Center, the Horseshoe, and the Williams-Brice nursing building from 7 a.m. to around 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

IN THE WEE HOURS

The Copper Beech shuttle accrued campus buzz and coverage from The Daily Gamecock when students discovered it would offer late-night service to Five Points – the first housing community to do so.

“It’s a perfect opportunity, you know, because a lot of people of course, don’t want to drink and drive,” said Shantel Riddle, Property Manager at Copper Beech, who continued about drunk driving, “Some people think ‘Oh no, I’m fine to do it,’ You know, and it [the shuttle] kind of stops them from even thinking about that.”

The bus runs from 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. and it leaves the community every 45 minutes - or when the bus fills up. The stop is outside Sharky’s on Harden Street in Five Points.

Five Points shuttles also help students to avoid parking issues.

“Not only is it difficult to park [in Five Points], but you end up parking too far away from where the safe areas are,” Linaberry said.

USC’s shuttle runs at night from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. The night shuttle covers most of campus – from the Coliseum to Capstone House. Newbill said the night operation is to ensure safety on campus.

“[We] Try to eliminate the walking as much as possible – at night,” said Newbill, who focused on safety as the Evening shuttle’s main purpose.

While the shuttle covers most of campus at night, it does not go further than Capstone toward Five Points.

“Five Points is a wild little place to hang out in, you don’t want to kind of, bring students back on campus rowdy and all that,” said Newbill, who said he has seen the Copper Beech shuttle but does not know much about it.

Has the university discussed sending the shuttle to Five Points at night?

“We discussed it - but see that’s a lot of drinking, you have police on bus, that’s really not a good issue for us,” said Newbill, who also said he has not considered running the shuttle past 12:30 a.m.

Linaberry explained some similar discussions with more detail

BUSINESS SUPPORT AND THE FUTURE

USC Student Government President Nicholas Payne has discussed a campus shuttle to Five Points with Linaberry, USC officials, Budweiser and the City of Columbia, according to Linaberry. He also said he is unsure how much progress Payne made, but that he would offer “financial or logistical” support to this service as well.

Reporter’s deadline prevented further investigation into Payne’s plan and a potential alteration of the story.

It has always been Linaberry’s policy to pay for rides homes in his years at Five Points bars.

“I bet I have not paid out more than $1,000 in those 14 years for cab rides – and that’s pretty pathetic,” said Linaberry, who also offered to pay Copper Beech some residual funding for its shuttle, which brings eight to 15 students to his bar each stop.

“You know, it’s gonna’ cost money, it’s gonna’ take some effort, but in the long run, there are way more pros to the thing than cons,” Linaberry said. “Safety is probably the No. 1 pro and you just can’t really put a dollar amount on that.”

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