Your very own MOJO ventured off campus today to tag along with Tim Bentley, a student driver of the Hornet Express Shuttle, a free transportation service provided to Sacramento State students and faculty. Bentley drove the Route 5 shuttle, which covers Howe Avenue to Arden Way, down Bell, and back to Howe, before returning to campus. We departed at 3 p.m. and returned at just about 3:40 p.m.

Those who hang around near the transit center have seen the Hornet Express buses with their dark green and gold stripes running down their sides.

The Hornet Express consists of three main routes: Route 2, which covers stops on campus and around the La Riviera Drive, Watt Avenue and Folsom Boulevard areas; Route 4, which covers Fair Oaks Boulevard, Morse Avenue and Fulton Avenue areas; and Route 5. Each route takes 18 runs throughout the course of the day and each run takes about 40 minutes to complete from the time it leaves the transit center to the time it arrives back to campus. The first run leaves Sac State at 6:50 a.m. to begin picking up students and the last run leaves campus at 6:20 p.m. to drop off final passengers.

Route 1 is more sporadic and runs on the south side of campus from 8:30 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.

A Night Shuttle is available on request from dusk to 11 p.m. and only runs on campus.

In his second semester driving, Bentley currently drives Routes 2 and 5.

Drivers choose the routes and times they will drive in a bid meeting that takes place a couple of days before each semester starts. Drivers are given a seniority number based on how long they have been driving the Hornet Express and how well they scored on tests that were given to drivers in training.

“So what you can drive is based on class or whatever else is going on,” Bentley said, adding that drivers are given ample time to ensure that driving schedules don’t conflict with class schedules.

He said he likes his job because of the convenience and the freedom.

“I thought it would be good to have a job down at the university, because I could go to class and work?” he said. “You’re not stuck in an office; you’re not on your feet all day.”

Bentley said he simply likes to drive, and driving the shuttle is a perfect job for that.

He said he enjoys driving Route 2 more than Route 5, because Route 5 is often more congested with traffic.

“Trying to get over three lanes on Howe Avenue can get a little stressful,” he said.

Bentley said problems on the road can come from traffic and drivers who make assumptions about the way buses drive.

“They assume that you’re going to be really slow?so people will still cut you off and (the bus) still stops well, but it will take more distance than a car,” he said. “I’ve had a few close calls with having to break really hard for people getting in my way.”

Bentley said his driving experience is generally a positive one. Part of that is due to the reactions he gets from passengers.

“I’ve never had anybody that’s really mean,” he said. “I think 75 percent of students will say ‘thank you’ when they get off. They’re not required to say anything; that’s just what I’ve found being a driver.”

Bentley said he has also gotten feedback from students who appreciate the Hornet Express.

“I’ve had people tell me for them it’s convenient to have,” he said. “I think that it being driven by students is another plus. I think Sacramento State having it is pretty special, because not a lot of universities do.”

Bentley also said the shuttle sometimes provides a more comfortable atmosphere for students, because they are riding with their peers and can relate to other passengers better than they might be able to on another form of Sacramento Regional Transit.

Students who are worried about safety can rest, assured that the drivers of the Hornet Express shuttles are thoroughly trained before they can drive with passengers.

“First you have to?go to the doctor, get a physical?and they certify you to be well enough to have peoples’ lives in your hands,” Bentley said.

Then, drivers must take a drug test; pass a written DMV test to get their Class B license permit; take a two-week behind-the-wheel class, which includes freeway driving and city driving; and drive through a skills lot that requires driving around cones and parallel parking. After 20 hours of behind-the-wheel driving, drivers can finally receive their Class B license.

The shuttles are inspected each day before the first morning-runs take place.

So, how do students feel about the shuttle experience that Bentley and others provide?

“I ride the shuttle, because it’s faster than me having to park, and I ride it because it saves me gas money, and I just live right down the street on Howe,” said senior business major Cecilia Vargas, adding that she does wish the Hornet Express would extend its nighttime hours.

Junior psychology major Jonathan Camara said he relies on the shuttle as a means of transportation.

“I ride it, because I don’t have a car right now,” he said. “It’s convenient?it runs at the times I need.”

Junior liberal studies major Ashley Allen also said convenience is her reason for riding the shuttle.

“I think it’s important?because not all the RT routes actually go to Sac State,” she said. “The shuttle (stop) is just two minutes way from where I live, so it’s convenient, and I’m actually glad we have it.”

For information about the Hornet Express, call University Transportation & Parking Services at (916) 278-7275, or visit its web site at http://www.csus.edu/utaps.

Bridget Jones can be reached at [email protected].