The shuttle service between ENC and the Quincy YMCA has been stopped this semester. The reason according to Brad Zarges, ENC’s athletic director, was lack of use.
“We did some analysis of the usage of it, and found that the number of students that were being transported at any given night back and forth to the Y was extremely low, sometimes as low as one or two people a night, yet the drivers were essentially on a four hour shift from 6PM to 10 PM,” Zarges explained. It is a possibility that students are using their own form of transportation, or not utilizing the Y memberships the school provides. The shuttle was operated by “student drivers who drove ENC vehicles, organized through the office of student development,” Zarges said.
How many students are using the YMCA membership provided through ENC? That is also somewhat uncertain, Zarges explains. “There’s also some question as to how much usage is actually happening at the YMCA, how many of our students are taking advantage of that more than just as a novelty but as a regular use.”
Zarges does not believe that this will affect the partnership between ENC and the YMCA. “I don’t think this will have a direct impact on that, any kind of change in the nature of the YMCA relationship would probably stem from an assessment of what our usage of the YMCA by our students would actually be.” Zarges says that he “would love to see more students take advantage of the services that are available.” for example, they have the indoor pool, training facilities, courts, and the indoor turf. Zarges continues to say that “it’s a beautiful facility.”
The future of the YMCA shuttle service will reflect student demand.