OP, if this is important to you, you might want to ask which students tend to use buses. At my school, for example, the hard science students tended to use the shuttles more frequently because of the locations of the labs and other science facilities in relation to the central area where most of the dorms are located. In contrast, other students might use them rarely, or only late at night.

MOst do, for two reasons:

1. As campuses expand over time, often they end up buying land not directly adjacent, so things get spread out here and there.
2. Not everyone can walk long distances. Most students are able-bodied, but not all fo them. Plus staff and faculty.

Anonymous wrote:I took buses pretty regularly at UVA 30 years ago.

Now kids use scooters.

Indiana needs busses for sure. Iowa is pretty small compared to other Big 10 schools , so it’s walkable. Nebraska has 2 campuses which are very compact, but u need a bus to go from one of these campuses to the other.

In case anyone is interested in learning about the PRT at West Virginia University
This one has WVU transportation employees telling you about it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAIc-qBHENc

This one is just a "ride along" as someone rides it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey2im0f7zr8

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The really big state universities feel like little cities. Ohio State, Penn State, etc.

Once you get to around 30,000, you start seeing campuses that are really large by necessity.

In our experience, never rode a bus at Penn State in 4 years. Lived on campus and then apt. within 2 blocks of College Ave.
"Most students" would be an overstatement IMO.

Same. Went to OSU. Never rode a bus. All of my classes were very walkable, including when I lived off-campus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WVU has a rail system...reminds me of Disney without the lines.

Or Disney with the lines sometimes.

They also have busses.

Main problem is if you live on main campus and take engineering classes you might have to leave your dorm /apr an hour early to get to class in time.

Nah. My kid has always lived in the downtown area (Stalnaker Dorm, then Vandalia apartments, now lives in an off campus house off Willey) and all his classes have been on Evansdale. He's never left that early.

Michigan has busses but I think my DC went to North Campus once in 4 years so may have used the bus only that one time.

If it’s freezing and you need to go between West Bank and East Bank campuses, maybe? Of course, there is the light rail as well.

Anonymous wrote:Minnesota

Does anyone actually use them for anything besides getting from one campus to another, though?

Stony Brook, Buffalo. Not sure of other SUNYS

Heck StonyBrook has full train station on campus!! Plus busses.

UMASS Amherst has a large bus depot on campus

University of Maryland has a metro stop

Minnesota

Lehigh although I never used it so it's possible to avoid... best shape of my life walking those stairs up the mountain multiple times a day!

IU Alum here - undergrad and grad.

Never bought a bus pass. My dorms were always centrally located and my houses were not far either.

My friends never had bus passes . Walked all over the place, biked, jogged, ran for 6 years. Beautiful place to walk.

Get an umbrella and waterproof gear.