Students share mixed experiences with DSG initiative offering free shuttles to RDU

This Thanksgiving break, Duke students had something new to be grateful for: free shuttle rides to Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The pilot program, an initiative by Duke Student Government, enabled undergraduate students to reserve a spot on one of six shuttle rides between East Campus or West Campus and RDU. Students shared a mix of positive feedback on the program and frustration due to delays and one shuttle that never arrived.

“By establishing a tradition of airport shuttle buses to RDU, Duke can ensure affordable and equitable access to essential travel for all students while aligning itself with its peer institutions,” wrote junior Tara Singh, DSG vice president of campus life, in a Dec. 3 email to The Chronicle. 

The initiative began forming in the 2023-24 school year, as other universities in the state, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University, offered similar travel services to students. It is funded jointly by DSG and Duke Student Involvement and Leadership.

“This financial strain disproportionately affects low-income and international students, placing an undue burden on them and their families when trying to return home for the holidays or major Duke breaks,” Singh wrote.

She added that the formation of the program depended heavily on student feedback. A spring 2023 survey conducted by the DSG campus life committee found that 52.4% of Duke undergraduates “primarily rely on expensive ride-sharing options,” with a majority of respondents expressing an interest in “reliable, low-cost bus services.”

Due to students’ varied travel plans, the team behind the initiative ran a survey to determine the most in-demand departure times. They settled on six time slots between Nov. 23 and 26 — with departure times including 5 a.m., 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. — and asked students to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early to their bus stop. 

The program was launched and advertised a week before Thanksgiving break on DSG’s newsletter and Instagram.

“I ended up just calling a Lyft. Me and a few other people went via the Lyft, and we checked back in with people at the stop — it never came,” Tsvihun said. She added that DSG “handled it well” by sending an email to address the situation.

In the email, DSG apologized to the students and explained that the bus driver had no-showed, noting that the shuttles had arrived the previous days. The message included a reimbursement form for the students’ rides, according to Tsvihun.

“We contracted with one of Duke’s standard providers, and they had an internal, last-second issue with a driver the morning of Nov. 27, which was not communicated to us until the issue was too late to be remedied,” wrote senior Jax Nalley, DSG chief of staff, in a Dec. 3 email to The Chronicle.

Singh noted that DSG called the shuttle company around 5 a.m. on Nov. 27 and “received no response.” She added that the company has since apologized.

According to Nalley, DSG also worked throughout the break to process payments and reimbursements for students.

“I was a little bit disappointed … What I know is that [for] some students, it disrupted their plans,” said Mingjiang Gao, a Duke Kunshan University junior who studied in Durham this semester. “... A lot of people were pretty rushed.” 

Junior James Mu said that he was impressed that DSG made an effort to meet the “unmet need” of airport transportation and improve the travel experience for undergraduate students.

“I felt that the program comes from a good place, and it has most definitely shown its benefits to the student population,” he said.

Mu appreciated that the shuttles had room for students to bring luggage, and noted that many students had conversations with one another during the bus ride.

He shared that some of the buses were late due to holiday traffic. According to Mu, one 4 p.m. shuttle departed between 4:30 and 4:40 p.m., though he noted that DSG had communicated the possibility of these delays.

“It was definitely tough in terms of holiday traffic and in terms of all the conditions that came into play during that day,” he said. However, Mu ultimately described the initiative as a “wonderful experience.”

Future of the initiative

According to Nalley, DSG hopes to continue offering the service during future breaks, with the likely next opportunity during spring break of 2025.

He shared that DSG is now soliciting feedback from students who participated in the initiative to evaluate its efficacy. The goal, according to Nalley, is to increase the number of buses running and the “timing efficiency” of each bus.

Gao suggested that if the bus does not arrive within 15 minutes, students should be notified as soon as possible so that they could make alternate travel arrangements.

Mu noted that the initiative could be improved by providing more flexible time slots for students to accommodate more flight times. At UNC-Chapel Hill, on days that airport shuttles are offered, they run continuously every hour during a select time range.

Mu also suggested a more “interactive” form of communication to reduce stress surrounding bus arrivals.

“I really appreciate that folks over at DSG and student leadership, as well as the leadership at the University, have been able to spend time — spend effort — to think about these needs,” Mu said, stating that he has a positive attitude towards the program continuing.

Tsvihun heard generally positive feedback from her peers about the initiative.

“I would still sign up again. I think it would be really nice to have this program continue,” she said. “I’d just be ready to call a ride if need be.”

---