By Jacqueline Hlavenka
Clanking and rumbling down Hofstra Boulevard, Blue Beetle riders commuting into midtown Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn may have noticed a big change to their nightly commute.
The Department of Public Safety has implemented a new courtesy bus route to the LIRR Mineola train station via Hofstra’s Blue Beetle, effective as of January 29th. The schedule, in conjunction with class dismissal times, will operate daily to the Mineola station after 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. After 7 a.m., service will resume during the regularly scheduled times to the Hempstead train station.
“The busiest time in Hempstead is 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Going to Mineola just makes sense to satisfy the Hofstra community, especially late at night,” said John Hanabenry, an operator of the Blue Beetle.
Though the new schedule to the Mineola station is made to benefit the commuter in the long run, a great deal of confusion has left many students wondering about the change itself. Many students who do not frequent the bus service regularly are unfamiliar with the new route, though a revised map and timetable appear on the University website.
“People even came into events management complaining about the Blue Beetle, mainly because they didn’t know this change had occurred,” said an events management employee.
Amid the confusion, a new Blue Beetle and Road Runner schedule was posted on the MyHofstra.edu portal for students under the ‘personal announcements’ tab in late January. Maps with correlating time tables are available in print-form on the Blue Beetle upon request.
According to Charles Forrest, Associate Director of Public Safety, a survey regarding campus transportation services was issued during the Fall 2006 semester between October and November, evaluating the quality and response of the Hofstra Blue Beetle and the Road Runner buses, both on-and-off campus. Both Forrest and Hanabenry noted that requests for service to Mineola were “unanimous” among survey results.
“Surveys were passed to bus drivers, professors, and students about what could make Hofstra transportation better-and if you saw them…just about every single one said more service to Mineola, more service to Mineola.” said Hanabenry.
Departing directly from the Information Center, two evening Road Runner buses previously provided rides to the Mineola station only twice a day, leaving night-bound commuters with the sole option of riding the Blue Beetle. Before the schedule change, commuters would often wait up to 40 minutes before an off-peak train would arrive in downtown Hempstead.
“Trains from Mineola leave more frequently from the Mineola station during the nighttime hours,” said Hanabenry. “Some students have late-night classes and faculty could still be on campus late grading papers. It is a question of safety, and the Mineola service is much quicker.”
Since faculty, residents of Twin Oaks apartments and student interns frequent the Blue Beetle heavily, after years of consideration by the administration, the schedule change was finalized as a matter of campus safety based on students personal security.
“When I need to go home faster, there’s a better connection at Mineola, even though you still have to transfer at Jamaica,” said senior english major Jackie J.P., a daily commuter.
The University is currently tracking progress about the schedule change by keeping a tally of students who ride the Blue Beetle to Mineola on the hour, seven days a week. The route to the Mineola terminal takes an extra five minutes from Hofstra’s campus, similar to the Hempstead run.
“Some people don’t like it, but that’s with everything. It just makes sense for everyone,” said Hanabenry.
