For Veronica Donahue, the new TUrDoor service is a step up from other schools’ shuttle services.
This semester, Temple has started the TUrDoor service, which takes students to campus stops like the Owl Loop but also directly to their homes.
“Other schools do not have door to door service, they just stops where you get off,” the sophomore advertising major said. “I think TUr Door is good, especially in Philadelphia.”
Late Friday nights and early Saturday mornings, there are more students finding their way around campus using the TUrDoor shuttle.
TUrDoor is funded by the university and managed by the Office of Facilities, which has received positive feedback from students. Facilities representatives said they heard numerous anecdotal stories from students who use the new service.
“One student interviewed me for a class project, and she actually said she was happy for it.” Tom DiNardo, director of Facilities said. “What I’ve heard from students in general is a real level of satisfaction with this service.”
Students can board TUrDoor shuttles at its transportation hub on Berks Street across from the TECH Center. From there, the shuttle goes anywhere on campus or up to four blocks off-campus in any direction – north to Cumberland Street, south to Girard Avenue, east to Fifth Street or west to 20th Street.
It gives safe passage to students in areas that are beyond boundaries where Campus Police usually patrol. Facilities and Campus Safety Services designated these areas as highly populated by students.
Though this semester is considered a “test semester” to determine any possible adjustments, one thing that is not likely to change are TUrDoor’s boundaries.
“We are certainly not locked into stone on anything, but this seems to be a pretty good system,” DiNardo said. “Anytime we thought of expanding the parameters, it would slow the whole thing down.”
Since the service began, ridership grew quickly. In the service’s inaugural month, TUrDoor’s three shuttle buses moved 3,203 student riders, more than 1,000 students a week.
During February, the number of students per month grew to 7,743, according to data provided by the Office of Facilities.
Even students are noticing that the shuttles have become more crowded as awareness of the service has increased.
“The buses tend to overfill and sometimes a six-minute ride becomes a 30-minute ride.” Viola Olayinka, junior Business major said.
TUrDoor primarily services students who study late into the night and early into the morning.
“It provides a service to students to go to a drop off point anywhere between 5:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.” Campus Safety Services Executive Director Carl Bittenbender said. “For students who study late at night at the TECH Center, it gives them options instead of walking home alone.”
Brian Dzenis can be reached at brian.dzenis@temple.edu.
Temple should run a constant loop of the TUrdoor every day like other larger universities. I live in the Edge and it’s hard for me to walk to the Regional Rail station with all my bags on the weekends. Having a shuttle would definitely help.
I use TUrDoor everyday I have night classes and I am a huge fan. I live a block away from Girard Ave in a not so nice neighborhood. This service not only saves my legs after a long day of classes, but it could possibly be saving my life/property. Personally, I would like to thank Temple Student Government for putting this initiative into action.
P.S. I hate when people live on campus and take the TUrDoor shuttle. It delays my trip home when you could easily and safely walk home.