Somerville SafeRide shuttle pilot program implemented
Simmons shuttle stops also relocated to front of dorm
MIT’s shuttle programs are undergoing several changes in the upcoming semester.
In response to a proposal made in May by the Graduate Student Council (GSC) Transportation Subcommittee, a pilot program for a new Somerville SafeRide shuttle route will run from September to December. The new route is designed to meet the transportation needs of graduate students living off-campus by connecting Imman Square, Union Square, and East Cambridge to Main Campus. The shuttle will run during normal MIT Saferide hours of 6 p.m.–2:30 a.m. Sundays through Wednesdays and 6 p.m.–2:30 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. The pilot program’s continuation is contingent on ridership numbers, according to the announcement in the Aug. 26 GSC Anno.
Additionally, as of Aug. 30, the Tech Shuttle and SafeRide stops at Simmons Hall were relocated to the east side of the building from the west side, making them closer to the hall’s main entrance, the Division of Student Life announced in a document online.
The change is a consequence of the Dorm Security Program, recently implemented at five dorms including Simmons. The program requires residents to “enter through the main doors” of the building, according to the DSL’s Dorm Security Program FAQ page released in July 2013.
“The door [on the West side of the building] is now exit only,” explained Simmons resident Maddy B. Aby ’15. The bus stop change is a good idea in light of the new security procedures, said Aby, but she would prefer to be able to enter the building from the West as before. Jarrod W. Smith ’16, also a Simmons resident, doesn’t mind the bus stop move but hopes to be able to enter through the back doors of the building “once [the new security system] is all up and running.”