Shuttle tracker brief cost/benefit analysis

September 30, 2019

University Relations

Since the removal of the shuttle tracker, it has come to my attention just how effective a tool it was in my work routine. I occasionally have need to go from lower campus to upper campus in the course of a workday. Without having the access of a tracker to be able to time catching the shuttle I now have to allow enough travel time to be able to walk the route. Ie, my 30-minute appointment at upper campus now has an extra buffer of 10-15 minutes of walk time, whereas last semester I was able to time it for effective shuttle transportation shortening the amount of non-productive travel time.

So, building on the thought that I am not the only one who has felt this inconvenience, I thought I would do some minor quick math.

• If 10 employees per day need to travel from upper to lower campus and back but aren't able to budget time effectively and now have to expand it the general equation could look like this:

10 employees making $20 per hour taking an additional total of 30 minutes round trip for 52 weeks (most employees are year-round)

10*$20*.5*52=$26,000 per year in non-productive employee time.

I am sure there are more than 10 employees a day that make this trek.

• Student stress at not being able to rely on the shuttle for timely travel or be able to budget their time: priceless

Student academic success being a core value we are promoting as an institution, requiring freshmen to live on campus and rely on the shuttle to take them from class to class- when these classes could be timed tighter based upon prior services of the tracker, I am sure is suffering. I know mine did today as I was 15 minutes late to a class having to walk instead of being able to time the shuttle.

• cost of shuttle tracker to annually maintain: ??

What solutions or alternatives are being sought out- preferably before the snow falls and the bad weather will then negate the option of even walking?