As the new semester begins, students living in University Plaza (UP) at Metroplex are still waiting for management to fulfill its promise of a direct shuttle to and from Downtown Binghamton.
Last year, students were promised a host of new services and amenities when signing their leases, including new renovations and a Downtown shuttle. While updates including new floors, countertops and carpeting were completed in time for move-in, students have yet to see the shuttle that was promised.
Max Bartell, a senior double-majoring in political science and philosophy, politics and law said he frequently needs transportation to weeknight trivia at the bars and to grab dinner at restaurants Downtown. Bartell said he would like to see UP provide a bus and apologize for the misunderstanding.
“UP has failed to honor one of the things that was promised to a lot of its residents,” Bartell said. “And if they continue to do this, they will lose residents to any of the other countless apartments complexes that are popping up around Binghamton.”
The shuttle bus has become a lost priority after the multiple changes in management and ownership in the past few months. On June 25, UP at Metroplex was sold to American Campus Communities (ACC), a real estate investment trust that owns, manages and develops student housing properties across the U.S. The community was previously owned by Newman Development Group and managed by Grand Campus Living.
According to Dan Barry, the regional manager for ACC, UP residents have been able to utilize the Broome County Transit buses and the Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) buses to get to and from the Downtown area.
“We are confident that the current services provided by the OCCT and Broome County Transit continue to be adequate for the needs of UP residents,” he said.
UP did not respond to Pipe Dream’s requests for comments for this story.
During the week, students must go to campus to transfer to a bus Downtown or to take the Broome Country Transit Bus 9, which stops in UP every hour between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm. For Brenda Sze, a junior majoring in biology, the buses do not come frequently enough.
“I wish they had more buses coming from here,” Sze said. “I guess what we’re wasting is time. Having a bus that goes directly Downtown makes life easier for us.”
On weekends the OCCT Downtown Express shuttle stops at UP before heading Downtown. However, the buses are often over-crowded and do not allow passengers to get on at the UP stop.
OCCT has no immediate plans to increase service to UP, said Timothy Redband, public relations coordinator for OCCT. It already increased services last fall to and from campus, adding two additional shuttles in the mornings.
“Increasing service to UP is something we can look at in the future as the size of our bus fleet grows,” he said. “Until then, we try to make our buses run as efficiently as possible to service all students.”
According to Lewis Robert Gurgis, a senior majoring in theatre, there is adequate busing. He said his priority is busing to and from campus rather than Downtown. However, he was expecting to see the shuttle bus when he moved in earlier this semester.
“As much as I like their new appliances and renovations, we still paid a lot of money,” Gurgis said. “And especially after there was a hike from last year’s rent, I was expecting the full services.”