UNIVERSITY OF

DUBUQUE SHUTTLE
Civil Engagement Proposal

Alexandra Walburg
2000 University Ave. CPO #1434 815-238-5355
Dubuque, IA 52001 awalburg@dbq.edu

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UD Shuttle Revamp
The Purpose
To provide an opportunity for students to be able to access a school service with
ease that every students feedback and needs are taken into consideration.

IMPORTANCE

The Shuttle is a vital service at the University of Dubuque some students rely on
to get to and from campus locations. Students pay around 200 a semester to
utilize this transportation, and its unreliable and there is a lot of confusion about
when and where the shuttle will be overcrowds securities phone lines.

PROBLEM
The Shuttle schedule at the
University of Dubuque is
ineffective, untimely, and
disorganized. Students
consistently are unsure on
the shuttles whereabout, if
there will be room, or if it’s
even running. Security is
overrun with phone calls and
complains which tangles up
the phone lines for more
urgent issues. The shuttles
phone number isn't available,
and its location cannot ever
be pinpointed, this project will
fix these issues and ease life
for students, security, and the
shuttle drivers.

In an article submitted by
Modo Lab Team an app was
being built to hep make travel

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more effective around campus. At Notre Dame they utilized this technology
service to be used for nighttime security escorts. “Mobile apps can serve as an
extremely effective hub for users to obtain real-time transit information that
students and employees can rely on for getting to and from campus, to meetings
or to class. And today it’s easy to integrate this information into a mobile app in
order to create a useful and practical experience for users wherever they are.”

In another article submitted by Jerod Dahlgren, Buffalo State’s university Police

Department has partnered with a app developer to provide in time GPS location
information for the college’s daytime and evening shuttle services. “In addition,
campus community members can request a personal walking escort to their
cars, residence halls, or any other building on campus 24 hours a day, 365 days
a year, by calling University Police at (716) 878-6333 from a cell phone, dialing
ext. 6333 from a campus phone, or from one of 44 blue-light phones.”

Despite being a small university with only 1,965 Undergraduate Students and
375 Graduate Students, according to collegedata.com, the school is consistency
growing as is the need for effective transportation. In a campus survey I
conducted 50% of respondents pushed for adding more busses to route, 20.6%
pushed for changing service hours and 14.7% pushed for creating different
routes.

There is also a great need for more information not just only on the shuttle’s
whereabouts, but its pick-up and drop off location on campus during the day and
at night, as well as how to use it and who to contact for a ride or with questions.
In the survey a junior who uses the shuttle a few days each month said, “Add
more buses to routes… Since there is a lack of information with the shuttle an

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increase of buses may help the confusion…. I didn't know the shuttles existed
until my sophomore year.” According the University of Dubuque students pay
$1,500 in Student Fees and about $200 of that goes toward the shuttle.
Students should have better access and knowledge of such an expensive
service.

Undergraduate Costs for the 2019-20 Academic Year

Full-time Tuition $34,070
Student Fees $1,500
Room (Double Occupancy) $5,150
Board (Standard meal plan) $5,060
TOTAL ESTIMATED CHARGES $45,780

Other Fees
Annual Parking Permit $90
Orientation Fee (one-time fee) $100
J-Term $220

DATA

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SOLUTIONS

A new shuttle schedule, or modifications to the previous shuttle schedule will be

implicated to create ease and better access to student if applicable to the
universities budget. An app or extension to Moodle will be added. On the
app/extension the schedule will be available, the shuttles location in live time will
be shown, the estimated time of arrival of it will show, the shuttles number will
be shown, as well as a “Request Ride” section will be available. The set up will
be very similar to how Uber and Lyft is.

TIME LINE

03/20/2019 Approved Informal Interview with Shuttle Driver, Dale

03/29/2019 Approved App design under way

03/29/2019 Approved Reach out to Jenn Supple Bartels about expert on

app design or who would be resourceful to create
an app extension to Moodle.

03/29/2019 Approved Reach out to Marissa Joers, Security, and Mary

Kruser of Student Life about data regarding the UD
Shuttle and who funds it.

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03/31/2019 Approved Have app draft looked over for effectivity.

04/01/2019 Approved Have app layout approved to continue.

04/01/2019 Approved Speak to Executive Board about data collected

previously about the Shuttle and if new data from
students should be collected.

04/03/2019 Approved Send formal interview questions to Dale Thein

04/03/2019 Approved Create survey for students and submit it to JSB.

04/04/2019 Approved Get Shuttle survey back.

04/05/2019 Approved Have survey approved and ask Mary Kruser to

send it out.

04/26/2019 Approved Data collected and info graph made

WORK CITED

“Campus Shuttles and Ride Requests: Helping Students and Employees with
an App.” Modo Labs, www.modolabs.com/blog-post/in-transit-shuttle-
tracking-and-ride-request-modules-get-app-users-where-they-need-to-go/.

“College Profile.” CollegeData, www.collegedata.com/en/college-profile/361/.

Costs, www.dbq.edu/Admission/Costs/.

Dahlgren, Jerod. “SmartTraxx App Provides Real-Time Campus Shuttle

Information.” News and Events | Buffalo State, Buffalo State,
newsandevents.buffalostate.edu/news/smarttraxx-app-provides-real-time-
campus-shuttle-information.

Walburg, Alexandra M. “Student Feedback.” Google, Google, Apr. 2019.

http://www.dbq.edu/