On the Audience. campus. Appeals to personal experience reference shared experience across occupation and. Fast Changes

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1 Bagley 1 Christopher Bagley Dr. Rosenberg English 015 August 07, 2017 On the Audience The audience for this paper include shuttle-riding members of the Penn State community, especially those in OPP with the resources and specific information to make a change across the campus. Appeals to personal experience reference shared experience across occupation and status in the university and call for my solution to be considered as a way to improve Penn State. Fast Changes Missing the bus has become a universal feeling. It starts in grade school, when breakfast takes too long or the alarm clock does not go off. It continues through early excursions downtown, as taking eyes off the stop for just a moment to get the tokens out of the pocket is enough for the driver to assume you are waiting for the other bus. Into college, the campus shuttle driver passes by because aggressive arm waving is required now, apparently. Some say the passing shuttle is a symptom of laziness, the college experience, or the disappointment of life itself, but frankly missing the shuttle is an inconvenience to everyone s experience at a university. However, this problem can be alleviated with a better way to signal a driver. A light system should be implemented to allow students, faculty, and staff to alert to the shuttle driver to stop. This light system would be simple. It would include a button for the rider to press to turn on a light to alert the driver of their presence. The light would be bright enough and large enough

2 Bagley 2 to be seen by the passing driver and would then remain lit for five minutes. This is less time than the fifteen minute interval the shuttles arrive at, so the light will then turn off after the person boards the shuttle but before the next shuttle arrives. Should anyone abuse the light or decide to leave the stop ahead of time, the light will be returned to the off position automatically and relatively soon after. The light would then alleviate issues with passengers trying to ride the shuttle around campus. Currently, would-be passengers must struggle for the attention of shuttle drivers, and in the words of freshman Rosa Padt, I don t want to wave my arms like a crazy person. With the new light system in place, people standing at the stop are more likely to be noticed and not be passed by. This solution also allows for people to be more productive in their time waiting for the shuttle stop. While waiting for the shuttle, students, faculty, and staff alike must keep their eyes peeled for the sudden advance of the shuttle, lest they miss the shuttle and arrive fifteen minutes later than planned. This means that precious time is lost when these shuttle-hopefuls could be reading the newspaper, doing homework, or responding to s. By implementing this change, waits will be shorter and more productive. The change would also allow the shuttle driver to better interact with the passengers. Some shuttle stops around campus are located in busy areas. Take for example the one outside of Thomas Building. While the amount of students who frequent that area makes it a perfect location for the shuttle stop, the crowds can make it challenging for a shuttle driver to see whether or not a student intends to ride the shuttle. The bench next to she shuttle stop sign is often used by both those intending to catch the shuttle and those who simply found a place to sit.

3 Bagley 3 By adding this signal light, the bus driver could more easily see that someone is waiting for the shuttle and not just loitering in the area. With the changes implemented, the university experience will be enhanced for everyone. Not only will getting around be easier, but ill effects of transportation issues will be dodged. According to Dorothy Schmenk, one of the fleet drivers here at Penn State, each of the two shuttles carries three hundred passengers a day. As these hundreds of people travel across campus more fluidly, improvements are sure to follow. The university will work more efficiently as people arrive on time more often and use what time they do have to spend waiting being productive. This change will also provide a better emotional environment for campus. While missing a shuttle is costly in time and production, it always creates stress and anger. Whether the frustration is directed to the self or to the driver, it is distracting. Personal experience can show the damages of stress and anger in a workplace, which can manifest in tense relationships and decreased productivity. These changes in themselves would not be difficult to make across the university. The Office of the Physical Plant (OPP) is already dedicated to stewarding the university, with a vision to exceed customer expectations and provide excellent value (SOURCE). When it comes to the campus shuttle, it is OPP who runs the show from drivers to routes to maintenance. Looking ahead to the fall semester, they are already planning to overhaul the campus shuttle with new routes, stops, and signage (SOURCE). This proves that many of the aspects of the campus shuttle are still malleable, and adding signal lights would be keeping with what the organization already does around campus. While light up signs can cost around one thousand dollars, once they are in place they are simple enough to maintain. Adding the lights will take take time, but

4 Bagley 4 will not be anything uncommon. Penn State s campus is already constantly shifting with new renovations sprouting here and there, so even the students are already comfortable with various construction projects. Adding the lights will also bring a new, modern update to the shuttle stops. While Cata stops have been renovated over the past year with new components to shield would-be passengers from the rain and light-up information boards with live updates, the campus shuttle is far behind. The new light system will make the stops more interactive and allow them to better fit into the twenty-first century. Many students do not know the campus shuttle even exists, and the shuttle stop signs blend into the campus a little bit too well. By adding the lights, the campus shuttle stops will become more visible and will at last make themselves known to the entirety of the student body, again increasing university efficiency as students take advantage of this resource. This change will update what already is a useful campus tool to bring it into a new era of efficiency and customer satisfaction. With a pole and a light, the campus shuttle system will be more efficient for everyone on campus, from the students, faculty, and staff who ride it to the drivers themselves. No longer will the shuttle driver miss people who were waiting a bit too ambiguously. Riders will be free to spend the time as they choose without looking for the bus with crazed paranoia. Instead of stopping their work for the shuttle, with a flip of a switch, the shuttle can stop for the passenger. While the distant future of transportation is in the hands of scientists and businessmen, the signal light can make the near future a little more utopian.

5 Bagley 5 Works Cited Mission & Strategic Plan Penn State Physical Plant, opp.psu.edu/about-us/mission-strategic-plan. Accessed 8 August Campus Shuttle Penn State Transportation Services, transportation.psu.edu/campus-shuttle. Accessed 8 August 2017.