It’s common knowledge that being a student involves a lot of juggling—classes, exams, and studying, which are combined with other social and work demands.

For many students at the College of Staten Island, life became a little easier at the beginning of March with the launch of the College’s four-week pilot shuttle bus between the ferry terminal in St. George and the CSI campus. The bus ran between the two destinations from 6:45am to 11:15pm. The pilot program ended March 28.

Faculty, staff, and students who live outside the borough and rely on the Staten Island Ferry found themselves with a dedicated and time-saving commuter link directly to the College.

One such student, Brooklyn’s Jovita Edwards, explains that a typical trip between home and CSI takes about two and a half hours, but the shuttle bus has reduced her grueling commute by a half-hour each way. “I really appreciate this service,” she notes, saying that the shuttle service “will be very convenient to others, as well as myself, who do not reside in Staten Island and do not have a car.” Edwards adds that the one-hour time savings allow her “to fit more things into her schedule.”

CSI students who travel to Manhattan as part of their internship programs at Deutsche Bank, Marvel Comics, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Fox Sports, Simon and Schuster, and CBS TV, also greatly benefit from the shuttle service’s direct link to the ferry.

“Feedback has been fantastic so far,” says Carol Jackson, CSI Vice President for Student Affairs. “Students, faculty, and staff have been raving about the great, free service back and forth to the ferry.”

Although the pilot program has ended, CSI plans to institute a permanent shuttle service between campus and the ferry beginning this fall semester, making students’ commutes more convenient, while cutting the amount of vehicular traffic and auto emissions on the Island.

More details can be found online at www.csi.cuny.edu/ferryshuttle

CSI’s Ferry Shuttle Bus Pilot Program Ends, Deemed a Success.