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Washtenaw Community College officials hope to relieve a campus parking crunch by expanding a free shuttle service program.
Parking at Washtenaw Community College can be challenging at the beginning of each semester. The college is expanding a shuttle service in the upcoming winter semester to relieve the crunch.
File Photo | AnnArbor.com
Last school year, WCC began a free shuttle service to and from Eastern Michigan University's Rynearson Stadium lot for staff and faculty members. Since then, it's run through the beginning two weeks of each semester, when the parking situation is the worst.
The college is now considering a semester-long deal that would lease a yet undecided number of parking spots from the Rynearson lot from Jan. 11 to May 3. The free shuttle would be extended to students.
Pricing details aren't finalized, but the shuttle service will likely cost WCC just under $100,000, said Steven Hardy, vice president for administration and finance.
WCC President Larry Whitworth said the shuttle service would completely relieve the parking situation, and noted an advertising campaign for faculty, staff and students is under way.
The college has 3,000 parking spots and 14,000 students. About 2,800 students are scheduled for classes at any given time, Whitworth said.
At the beginning of each semester, more students are on campus buying books and taking care of other business, he said.
Although the lot lease hasn't been finalized, the school is contracting with Select Ride for its private shuttle service, Hardy said. Buses would run every 15 minutes on school days between 6:45 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. beginning in January. The two-mile route goes from Rynearson to WCC's Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Huron River Drive stop.
The 10-week contract with Select Ride has a five-week extension option.
The college will see how the program works in the upcoming semester before signing on for future semesters, Hardy said.
The school is also considering contracting with a mobile coffee vendor that would park in the mornings at Rynearson.
A separate option are bus passes WCC offers from AATA, which cost $10 a semester. More than 1,000 were issued this fall, WCC spokeswoman Janet Hawkins said.
Juliana Keeping covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
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