As speculated by Loyola’s student body, escorts can no longer be relied upon for transportation between the Evergreen campus and The Social, an apartment complex near Loyola’s campus where many upperclassmen reside. Additionally, the university will not be renewing their contract with The Social going forward.

In their time at Loyola, students of all class years have faced a multitude of issues when it comes to transportation services on campus. “There will be three buses at the FAC, and I’m trying to get to the library, and there’s (sic) no buses for another 40 minutes,” said Carolina Meza ‘20. “And then, if you get there, and the bus passes you, they won’t accept you in.”

Upon returning to Loyola for the spring semester, Meza, like many others, was surprised to find that escorts to and from The Social, previously called The Guilford, are no longer as accessible as they were in the past. Meza requested an escort to take her to The Social late on the first Friday night of the semester— something she had been regularly doing with no problem beforehand. “‘Hey, can you take me to The Guilford?’” Meza asked escort services on her phone call. Their response, Meza said, was that “starting today,” they no longer fulfill that request.

According to Adrian Black, the director of Public Safety, transportation between The Social and campus has never been offered by the university. “Nothing has changed,” said Black, in regards to a possible change in policy that many students expected to be the case. “What has happened is there is an expectation for the service.” Starting this semester, Loyola students are no longer welcome to rely on these expectations for their transportation needs.

The Social, past this semester, will also no longer be offered as a housing option through Loyola. “With the capacity in our residence halls currently, we no longer need the additional spaces at The Social,” said Christina Spearman, dean of students. While students are still welcome to live at The Social, Spearman encourages students to consider their transportation options before making their final decision, even though “shuttle service to The Social has never been provided, as off-campus students are responsible for their transportation to and from campus.”

In comparison to the transportation systems of other universities in the Baltimore area, many students have voiced their disappointment in Loyola’s shuttle and escort availability. Johns Hopkins University, for example, has a partnership with Lyft and allows their students to order a free Lyft when the wait times for their shuttle system are too long. According to Juan Sanfiel, a junior at Johns Hopkins University, the university’s shuttle system “is extremely popular and useful for students who may not feel safe walking in certain areas or walking a certain distance at night.” With their additional Lyft service, students at Johns Hopkins cite very few issues with getting transportation around Baltimore. With examples like these, many Loyola students are inquiring as to why their university does not have a system that runs as smoothly.

In response to these ongoing frustrations voiced by Loyola students, the community can look forward to changes in the shuttle system that will hopefully satisfy a greater majority of students. After discussing with SGA, Raymond Infussi, director of parking and transportation services, claims that the Green Route, the route that most shuttles follow, will be restructured by the end of the month. This system, being “broken into more predictable, frequent, and shorter routes,” according to Infussi, will hopefully cut down the time that students spend waiting for the shuttle, in addition to making the system easier to navigate. A new FAQ series is scheduled to be released shortly in regards to Loyola’s shuttle system.

Stay up-to-date with The Greyhound for the latest updates on The Social, the shuttles, and more.

Featured Image: Courtesy of Loyola University Maryland