Given the choice between walking across campus on a cold, wetnight or hitching a ride to a given destination aboard the warm andcozy van of the Night Shuttle, the answer for students is a simpleand obvious yes.

The Night Shuttle drives its passengers from one destination tothe next, providing a stress-free ride home at the end of theday.

One chilly November evening, people duck their heads as theyboard the Night Shuttle van. They discuss how classes are comingalong, the details of projects and reports and different points ofview on the happenings in the worlds of politics and society. Somepassengers are worn-out from the day, so the driver does his joband drives to their destination.

“I used the Night Shuttle one time when I was at the radiostation here on campus. It was dark and it was late, but it was acool ride. It would be great to use after my sorority meetings toget back to the dorms without freezing to death,” said ValGullekson, a senior business major.

The Night Shuttle is a service for students, by students, andhas been in operation here at Sacramento State since the early1990s. Jim Staley, the shuttle coordinator since fall 2000, wasenthusiastic about the future of the program. The shuttle servesall members of the campus, and is operated by the UniversityTransit and Parking Services (UTAPS).

“The route through campus has really picked up (morepeople) since the time change back in late October,” Staleysaid.

A majority of students using the Night Shuttle said they aretaking a full load of classes (at least 13 units), spanningthroughout the day and into the evening. Student riders said theywould prefer not to walk or drive from campus to College Town Drivebecause of the increasingly cold weather or the constant trafficbattles that plague the Sac State transit area. There are a groupof students who use the shuttle as a ride to their cars that areparked just outside of campus on La Rivera Dr.

“It’s very beneficial to use, and it gets me to mycar when I need it the most,” said Moses Mjukrin, a seniorbusiness major who recently suffered a bruised knee injury. He usesthe shuttle to get to his car often, but since his injury, it hasbeen his main campus means of transportation.

The shuttle provides a quick ride for students and faculty toand from anywhere on campus, including but not exclusive to, Lot 11and College Town Drive. Whether it’s from the dorms to theUniversity Union or from Yosemite Hall to the bus depot justoutside Sacramento Hall, the shuttle helps get people where theyneed to go.

Senior government major Nic Hernandez is in his second year ofbeing a driver for the shuttle. He said a lot of students go fromthe dorms to the Union and from campus to apartments on CollegeTown Dr.

“There are a lot of factors playing into how busy theshuttle is, the weather, the time of year, and for general safetyreasons, but sometimes we are busy, and sometimes we arenot,” Hernandez said.

On average, the shuttle has been providing service to more than30 customers a night.

The busiest time, statistically, is between 8 and 9 p.m.,although the times vary with the peak hours when classes get out,or if there are any sports activities or art events happening oncampus.

The shuttle runs from sunset to 11 p.m., Monday throughThursday, while school is in session during the spring and fallsemesters. Funding for the Night Shuttle program comes from finesand parking citations here on campus. The shuttle is available freeof charge for Sac State students, faculty and staff with a validOneCard.

Many of the drivers are also Hornet Express shuttle operators,who drive busses for off-campus routes during the day and work forthe Night Shuttle in the evening.

To hitch a ride, call 278-7260 from any telephone, or ext. 87260from any campus phone.

“It would be great to use after my sorority meetings toget back to the dorms without freezing to death.”- Val Gullekson, Senior business major