Blacksburg Transit, Virginia Tech to launch new Campus Shuttle route

Campus transportation services by Blacksburg Transit and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) will recieve significant improvments with the launch of a new Campus Shuttle (CAS) route. The initiative will work to make travel around the Blacksburg campus more convenient for students, faculty and staff.

The project has come from more than a decade of planning led by the town of Blacksburg, Va., in collaboration with Virginia Tech.

The new transit center, located in the North Academic District near Perry Street, spans more than six acres and includes a 13,000-square-foot, two-story building. It will serve as a central hub for various modes of alternative transportation, including Blacksburg Transit, Virginia Tech's Sustainable Transportation and Hokie Bike Hub and other partners such as the Smart Way bus and Virginia Breeze.

The center features two paved bus loops, which will be the new central hub for all Blacksburg Transit buses on campus. The Campus Shuttle will operate using these loops, running in opposite directions around campus. The Orange Loop, located to the west of the building between West Campus Drive and the Perry Street Garage and the Maroon Loop, situated to the east between Stanger Street and the Perry Street Garage, will facilitate easy and quick access to different campus areas. Bays one through nine are in the Maroon Loop and Bays 10-17 are in the Orange Loop. The loops are designed to be fully accessible, with ramps on all buses to allow for easy boarding.

Virginia Tech notes the centralization aims to streamline bus schedules and routes with minor adjustments from the previous academic year to accommodate the new system. All Blacksburg Transit buses arriving on campus will now drop off and pick up passengers at the loops near the Perry Street Garage, reducing congestion and improving safety.

To ensure seamless connectivity throughout central campus, the new CAS will provide convenient access to key locations across the university, including McBryde Hall, Newman Hall, Torgersen Hall, the Creative and Innovation District, Cassell Coliseum, McComas Hall, Litton-Reeves Hall and Hahn Hall. Campus Shuttle buses will be available frequently on weekdays from 6:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., ensuring minimal wait times and easy travel across campus.

In August, when regular service resumes, Virginia Tech notes the frequency and span of shuttle services will increase, providing even more flexibility and convenience for campus transportation.

"The new Campus Shuttle routes will transform how everyone gets around campus," said Carrie Cox, senior director of Auxiliary Services at Virginia Tech. "By centralizing our transportation hub and optimizing bus schedules, we are making it easier than ever for students, faculty and staff to move around the university. This project demonstrates our commitment to improving the overall campus experience for everyone."

Currently, Blacksburg Transit provides more than 3.5 million rides annually, with approximately 22,000 rides occurring on a typical weekday during the semester. With 43 percent of off-campus students commuting via Blacksburg Transit, the new system is expected to make a significant impact.

The transit center building is slated to open later this year, however, the new routes will begin on June 24. Virginia Tech says all on-campus time checks will move to the loops and there will be no Blacksburg Transit service to Burruss Hall, Alumni Mall, Squires Student Center, War Memorial Hall and Beamer Way.