Report Card – PantherExpress

PantherExpress Report Card

Cost: C

At a whopping 6.9 percent of your mandatory student fees, you are paying more for this shuttle service than you do for the library. Gas guzzling PantherExpress buses cost the students a pretty penny each semester, even though a lot of students will go their entire time at Georgia State without riding one. Georgia State needs to look into a more cost effective way to transport students.

Availability: C

Look outside the Student Center, and you will see plenty of students waiting on the bus for a short ride across campus. The amount of time required to wait to catch a bus almost makes the ride not worth it. When a bus does come, typically the bus is overcrowded.

Convenience: B

There are several places on campus where students can catch the bus, and shuttle rides do make parking easier for students who wish to park by Turner Field. It’s a cheaper and easier alternative to taking the MARTA bus.

Services: B

The PantherExpress may not be the most “express” way to get across campus, but it is useful for students who need transportation. There are plenty of buses, but they can leave you idling at the curb. Buses are overcrowded, but at least that means students are using them.

Overall Performance: Average

The PantherExpress buses are a useful transport service for students, but with room for improvement. The university should look into a more sustainable and cheaper alternative to the large buses. The change over to more sustainable bus service is inevitable since gas prices show no signs of going down, and Georgia State should get a head start now on revamping student transport on campus.