2008 Woodie Awards
Shuttles to MetroLink would benefit students, environment
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Opinion/Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
Recently, it has been a high priority of Webster University to go green. The university has taken strides in reducing both pollution and waste. Both the new business and science building will be environmentally friendly. It was the first item on the Sept. 18 Delegates' Agenda, where student representatives from various organizations presented the issues they feel are most important at WU to university President Richard Meyers and his administrators. However, the university has forgotten an important way it could be helping the environment: providing students with adequate transportation to a MetroLink station.
In fall 2006, the MetroLink expanded to reach Sunnen Station at the corner of Laclede Station Road and Sunnen Drive, less than two-miles away. The station is a five-minute drive from WU. The expansion provided many opportunities for students to travel downtown, avoid traffic and save gas money. More and more people have begun to use the MetroLink since closures on Highway 40, but not as many are using it as possible. Many are not going using the MetroLink due to inconvenience of getting to the station.
Currently, there are approximately 250 international students on campus, many of whom do not own cars. Many students whose homes are far from St. Louis also do not have cars. Other universities in the area such as Washington University, St. Louis University and the University of Missouri, St. Louis have MetroLink stops on campus. If we want to keep competing with these universities, the university should at least provide its students transportation to a MetroLink stop.
WU does not offer a shuttle to and from the station, although there is a public bus that goes from campus to Sunnen Station. If a student without a car wants to get to the station, they either have to drive themselves, rely on a friend to get a ride or take the bus. Taking the bus to Sunnen Station can be a problem for students. It arrives every 30 minutes and students could be stuck if they miss the bus. A student can walk to the Sunnen Station in that time.
Some students chose to go downtown to take classes because many are held at the Old Post Office. A shuttle to the Sunnen Station would ease students' commutes to their evening classes. The university could arrange for a shuttle to be available in the evenings, at certain times during the day or students could set up appointments to be picked up and dropped off at the MetroLink station.
If students were more easily able to take the MetroLink to their destinations, they would be helping the environment by not using their cars. A shuttle provided by the university would encourage students with cars to take the MetroLink downtown and reduce environmentally harsh car emissions. A shuttle to the MetroLink would be helpful, convenient and beneficial to the environment.
In fall 2006, the MetroLink expanded to reach Sunnen Station at the corner of Laclede Station Road and Sunnen Drive, less than two-miles away. The station is a five-minute drive from WU. The expansion provided many opportunities for students to travel downtown, avoid traffic and save gas money. More and more people have begun to use the MetroLink since closures on Highway 40, but not as many are using it as possible. Many are not going using the MetroLink due to inconvenience of getting to the station.
Currently, there are approximately 250 international students on campus, many of whom do not own cars. Many students whose homes are far from St. Louis also do not have cars. Other universities in the area such as Washington University, St. Louis University and the University of Missouri, St. Louis have MetroLink stops on campus. If we want to keep competing with these universities, the university should at least provide its students transportation to a MetroLink stop.
WU does not offer a shuttle to and from the station, although there is a public bus that goes from campus to Sunnen Station. If a student without a car wants to get to the station, they either have to drive themselves, rely on a friend to get a ride or take the bus. Taking the bus to Sunnen Station can be a problem for students. It arrives every 30 minutes and students could be stuck if they miss the bus. A student can walk to the Sunnen Station in that time.
Some students chose to go downtown to take classes because many are held at the Old Post Office. A shuttle to the Sunnen Station would ease students' commutes to their evening classes. The university could arrange for a shuttle to be available in the evenings, at certain times during the day or students could set up appointments to be picked up and dropped off at the MetroLink station.
If students were more easily able to take the MetroLink to their destinations, they would be helping the environment by not using their cars. A shuttle provided by the university would encourage students with cars to take the MetroLink downtown and reduce environmentally harsh car emissions. A shuttle to the MetroLink would be helpful, convenient and beneficial to the environment.
Be the first to comment on this story