St. John’s University Shuttle Van Service Attempts to Improve Student Life

Picture of the St. John’s shuttle van in the ROTC parking lot. [Source: St. John’s University]

QUEENS, NY — The St. John’s University shuttle van service is back in full effect for the spring semester. The service, executed by the Queens campus public safety, provides an easier transportation option for students and faculty to make their commute, to and from campus, smoother.

The shuttle route hits the main off-campus housing buildings such as the Seton Complex, the DePaul Houses, and the Henley Road Residence. For commuters, the van will stop at the F subway train station at the corner of Homelawn St. and Hillside Ave. Those taking the Long Island Rail Road at Jamaica Station will need to call public safety at 718-990-5252 in order to request a pickup or drop-off.

Sophomore student, Mathias Ezekiel, is grateful for the service, however, he hopes public safety will determine a permanent pickup spot for those coming from the LIRR. “Some days they say to wait here across the station, but other days they’ll call me back and say walk two blocks down until I find the Dunkin’ Donuts. There’s no consistency. It’s especially worse in the cold.”

The recommended pickup/drop-off location at the LIRR station. [Source: Mike Merolle]

A public safety officer, who asked to be anonymous, understands the confusion but says the department hasn’t received any complaints. “There’s always a bus out on the route and if a student in Jamaica needs a ride, they have to call us. From there, between the officer on the phone, the driver, and the student, they’ll figure out the best way to pick them up. But there have been no complaints, everything has been working fine.”