Rowan University is home to a plethora of both commuters and on-campus residents alike, but is the transportation available convenient and accessible for most students? According to a 2023 study done by the U.S. News & World Report which was focused on Rowan, 34% of the students live in college-affiliated housing or dorms, and 66% of students commute or live off campus. More than half of the students on campus commute to campus, and of that half, many rely on public transportation, such as shuttles, as a means of getting on and off campus. 

Students commuting to Rowan may use NJ Transit bus routes 313 and 412, which connect students to surrounding locations in the area. It is limited in its frequency and offers gaps in schedules, which may prove challenging for some students, and be difficult for those with no car. Along with this, students who live farther away may find themselves paying more than 10 dollars a day on transportation fees.

There are Rowan shuttles that take students off of the Glassboro campus to the Rowan Camden campus. Fortunately, Rowan Camden is near a River Line rail station and the Walter Rand Transportation Center, which opens up more opportunities in New Jersey while also allowing access to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, via the Patco train. There are also shuttles that bus students to different areas around campus.

Kuijah Knox, a 22-year-old senior psychology major, is a student who relies on Rowan’s on-campus shuttle to get back to his apartment on High Street as well as some of his classes. Knox used to walk instead of using Rowan’s transportation but switched after last semester due to the shuttle’s convenience.

“It’s pretty consistent with the times. It always shows up on time. When I’m on it, it moves pretty quickly to my dorm,” Knox said. “Since I live at Rowan Boulevard, the bus stops right there, and I have class at Robinson, so I can just walk right here and wait however long.”

The lack of nearby direct train connections for students who live farther away could also create a regional accessibility problem. In addition, the closest trains require additional public transportation, with students needing to use Uber or take a bus, significantly increasing the price of a way home. The price of a train ticket may already be outside the average commuter’s budget, but adding additional fees to the mix may create difficulties and obstacles. 

Public transportation accessibility is also relied on not just by commuters but also by residents with jobs and responsibilities. Many students have taken the opportunity to find jobs that fit their schedule that a campus job may not be able to offer. 

One student who is taking this opportunity is Mia Acevedo, a 20-year-old sophomore majoring in health and science communication and minoring in photography. Acevedo is a campus resident who takes the Rowan Camden shuttle two days a week to get to her job in Camden.

“I’ve been doing this since my freshman year, ever since a friend taught me how to use it. I’m glad that I have this. My family didn’t have a car for me to use, so I used this chance to get this job. I don’t come from a family with money, and it’s very convenient for me that it works out. I would like to have a job on campus eventually, but I am satisfied with what I’m doing now,” said Acevedo.

Acevedo also shared some negatives about her experience using the shuttle. Even though it works out for her, it is not perfect.

“The shuttle is sometimes late when it comes to the scheduled times, which can hold up any plans that I have, and sometimes it does leave people behind even when other students are trying to wave them down, but I feel it can just be an awareness thing,” said Acevedo.

Additionally, there are shuttles for students who need groceries or need to shop on Fridays and Wednesdays, which brings students to the Collegetown Shopping Center, Doubletree Shopping Center, and ShopRite. This service is free to all Rowan students; all that is required is a Rowan ID. The bus’s pick-up location is at the Chamberlain Student Center, with pick-up times at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. and drop-off time at 8:15 p.m. This limited time, while accessible to some, may not be available to students who have later classes. 

Some residents at Rowan who depend on transportation to get home have expressed their difficulties and struggles with transportation, specifically the schedule of the shuttles. Stephen Moser, a 19-year-old freshman business finance major and current resident, has this problem frequently. 

“If I miss a shuttle, I have no way of getting home when I need to. And even if I do, the price of the ride is frustrating, especially if you don’t have a job, which, for a lot of freshmen, is the norm,” Moser said. “The hardest part is just getting there sometimes.”

It is worth noting that Rowan has made efforts to answer and remedy some of these issues, including a potential Route 322 realignment with plans to change the route around campus to accommodate increases in traffic and the growing number of students who need transportation. There is also a new rail proposal, the Glassboro Camden Line, for commuters that would connect Glassboro and Camden, as well as other potential renovations that have yet to be put into effect.

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