A close partnership between East Tennessee State University and Johnson City Transit (JCT) that began five years ago has gotten even stronger. JCT BUCSHOT, the free campus-wide public transit service for students, faculty and staff, has been revised and expanded for the 2008-2009 academic year.
“The timing is right for an expansion of on-campus service due to ETSU’s growth, our five-year experience on campus, and increased gasoline prices that are causing many people everywhere to consider public transportation in a new way,” said Eldonna Janutolo, JCT director.
“Starting this month, we will offer new shuttle routes while improving our frequency of service throughout campus. That means we will be picking up and dropping off riders more frequently, which makes the service work better for them.”
BUCSHOT operates Monday through Friday during the school year and restarts the first day of ETSU fall classes on Aug. 25. Daytime service for the Blue and Gold routes is provided by two small buses that begin their runs at 7:15 a.m. and now extend until 4:45 p.m. to accommodate ETSU employees who leave work at 4:30. The former daytime fixed routes have been reconfigured with fewer stops and a quicker 15-minute route. The Blue route will serve the west side of campus, while the Gold route serves the east side.
As requested by ETSU, daytime BUCSHOT now includes two express shuttle routes, operating from the outlying Jack Vest Drive parking lot located behind Buck’s Pizza (new Purple route), and from the Walnut Street parking lot (new Green route).
These shuttles run between 7:15 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Monday through Friday and travel to the center of campus every 10 minutes. Through the first full month of fall and spring semesters – September 2008 and February 2009 – two express vehicles will work both parking lots to transport riders more efficiently.
After that, one shuttle will cover these lots for the remainder of each semester. Express services will be provided by JCT small trolley buses. Evening BUCSHOT service will consist of one vehicle on a fixed-route schedule from 5-10:45 p.m. Monday though Friday, after which evening service will be available until midnight on a call-in basis (instead of a route basis). Persons may call 914-5940 anytime between 8 p.m.-midnight for Safe Passage transportation. During all other times, including weekends, students may call the ETSU Department of Public Safety, 439-4480, for on-campus security escorts.
JCT is providing materials to ETSU to help inform students, faculty and staff about the expanded BUCSHOT service. Colorful schedules with detailed maps, 11 x 17 posters, and “yard” signs are now available throughout campus.
In addition, the BUCSHOT section of the JCT Web site gives full information about the service, including route maps and stop times/locations. See www.johnsoncitytransit.org/campus.html.

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