Students looking for a way to get around town after class now have a new option: the Grinnell College downtown shuttle. The College- operated shuttle bus makes an hourly round trip each hour from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday from the Noyce science center to downtown, then stopping at grocery stores and dollar stores on the way to and from Walmart, ending with one more downtown stop before returning to 8th Ave. Students, faculty and staff can all travel on the shuttle free of charge by showing their Pioneer One- Card to the driver.
The shuttle bus began operating on Wednesday, March 2, and will continue on its current schedule until further notice, including on the upcoming spring break.
Riders who take the shuttle to a given location do not necessarily need to take the return route as well, and likewise the bus is available to pick people up for a ride home after they’ve walked or taken other transportation to a stop.
Because many of the shuttle stops are on Highway 146, the main road in and out of Grinnell, it’s easy to use the bus to get to urgent care services, auto centers, banks, salons and other amenities, not to mention walking trails and restaurants.
The shuttle offers greater flexibility in its hours than the College-subsidized PeopleRides shuttle that makes a one-hour round trip to Walmart around noon each weekday. However, since the College shuttle currently only operates after class hours and from Wednesday to Saturday, for midday trips or earlier in the week, the PeopleRides bus, which costs $5 roundtrip (tickets available in the Student Affairs office on the third floor of the JRC) may still be the best option.
Facilities Management is seeking feedback on the shuttle and how it can best serve students. For more information on the shuttle, visit here.
