New Campus Shuttle route set to transform transportation at Virginia Tech

Linda Hazelwood

20 Jun 2024

Blacksburg Transit bus at the new Transit Center at Virginia Tech — A Blacksburg Transit bus at the new Transit Center off Stanger Street. Photo by Linda Hazelwood for Virginia Tech.

Blacksburg Transit and Virginia Tech will implement a significant enhancement to campus transportation with the launch of a new Campus Shuttle (CAS) route. This initiative is a major step forward in making travel around the Blacksburg campus more convenient for students, faculty, and staff.

The project marks the culmination of over a decade of planning led by the Town of Blacksburg in collaboration with Virginia Tech.

The new Transit Center, located in the North Academic District near Perry Street, spans over 6 acres and includes a 13,000-square-foot, two-story building. It will serve as a central hub for various modes of alternative transportation, including Blacksburg Transit (BT), Virginia Tech's Sustainable Transportation and Hokie Bike Hub, and other partners such as the Smart Way bus and Virginia Breeze.

The center features two paved bus loops, which will be the new central hub for all BT buses on campus. The Campus Shuttle will operate using these loops, running in opposite directions around campus. The Orange Loop, located to the west of the building between West Campus Drive and the Perry Street Garage, and the Maroon Loop, situated to the east between Stanger Street and the Perry Street Garage, will facilitate easy and quick access to different campus areas. Bays 1-9 are in the Maroon Loop, and Bays 10-17 are in the Orange Loop. The loops are designed to be fully accessible, with ramps on all buses to allow for easy boarding. This centralization aims to streamline bus schedules and routes with minor adjustments from the previous academic year to accommodate the new system. All BT buses arriving on campus will now drop off and pick up passengers at the Loops near the Perry Street Garage, reducing congestion and improving safety.

Diagram of Campus Shuttle highlighting orange and maroon loops — The new Campus Shuttle routes include an Orange Loop and Maroon Loop.

To ensure seamless connectivity throughout central campus, the new CAS will provide convenient access to key locations including McBryde Hall, Newman Hall, Torgersen Hall, the Creative and Innovation District, Cassell Coliseum, McComas Hall, Litton-Reeves Hall, and Hahn Hall. Campus Shuttle buses will be available frequently on weekdays from 6:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., ensuring minimal wait times and easy travel across campus.

As an alternative, the Hokie Express (HXP) offers reliable service to central campus, running every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekdays and from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekends.

In August, when regular service resumes, the frequency and span of shuttle services will increase, providing even more flexibility and convenience for campus transportation.

"The new Campus Shuttle routes will transform how everyone gets around campus," said Carrie Cox, senior director of Auxiliary Services at Virginia Tech. "By centralizing our transportation hub and optimizing bus schedules, we are making it easier than ever for students, faculty, and staff to move around the university. This project demonstrates our commitment to improving the overall campus experience for everyone."

In an effort to show faculty, staff, and students the firsthand experience of getting around campus, tours of the new Campus Shuttle have been scheduled. These tours are designed to demonstrate the convenience of the shuttle system, allowing the campus community to quickly and efficiently reach meetings, classes, and other campus locations without the hassle of driving. Registration is required. Register for one of the following tour dates:

Thursday, July 11, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, July 16, 10 a.m.
Thursday, July 18, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, July 23, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, July 31, 2 p.m.

Currently, BT provides over 3.5 million rides annually, with approximately 22,000 rides occurring on a typical weekday during the semester. With 43 percent of off-campus students commuting via BT, the new system is expected to make a significant impact.

The Transit Center building is slated to open later this year, however, the new routes will begin on June 24, ushering in a new era of convenience and efficiency for campus transportation. All on-campus time checks will move to the Loops, and there will be no BT service to Burruss Hall, Alumni Mall, Squires Student Center, War Memorial Hall, and Beamer Way.

For information, questions, bay assignments, and the new route maps and timetables, as all routes have been changed, please visit ridebt.org/loops.