Public Transit Services Limited for FSU Students As COVID-19 Measures Escalate

The Allegany County Public Transit System has announced new modifications to their schedule as health and safety measures in the wake of COVID-19 continue to escalate.

In the Tuesday, April 7 announcement sent by FSU News, students learned that the off-campus loop to Walmart on Saturday is canceled until further notice. Previously, students were able to take the shuttle to LaVale on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in order to purchase essentials. Now, transit is only available from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. The new bus schedule can be seen here.

Students were previously informed on Tuesday, March 31 that the campus loop, which runs between Edgewood, the Chesapeake Dining Hall, and all dormitories would no longer run.

The FSU loop is perhaps the only public transportation option left in the county. As of March 31, the Allegany Transit Authority had canceled all other regular route services, including the Red, Blue, Green, Gold, Yellow, and Silver lines, until further notice.

Liz Medcalf, Director of Communications for FSU, says that there are a total of 47 students still living on campus. She says, “everyone has been moved to Edgewood at this point, since that allows for individual kitchens and bathrooms.”

It is unknown how many of the students still living on campus have alternative transportation; however, a scan of the Edgewood parking lot at Noon on Tuesday, April 7 revealed only seven cars with FSU student parking permits.

It is also unknown how many students who live off-campus depend on the FSU shuttle to take them to the grocery store.

The FSU on-campus and off-campus loops are paid through a transportation fee set at $18 per semester for full-time students and $2 per credit hour for part-time students. This allows students to ride Allegany Transit Authority buses by showing a student ID. Vice President of Finance and Administration, Leon Wyden, Jr. included the transportation fee as one that will likely be reimbursed to students on a prorated basis. It is unknown if reimbursement of the transportation fee will have any impact on transit services.

This is an ongoing and developing story.