In order to help new students explore areas outside of campus in an easier manner with the help of CATA and ARHS, UPUA has created and are distributing maps to residence halls outlining various bus routes.
The University Park Undergraduate Association Facilities committee project was developed from an idea proposed by one of last year’s freshman representatives Anand Ganjam after he experienced confusion while trying to navigate CATA buses.
“We got the idea from Anand who came to us and said that he was having trouble working the bus system,” UPUA Facilities Chair Dave Harrington said. “I remember when I had trouble with it when I first started here.”
Harrington (senior-political science) and Earth and Mineral Sciences Representative Dan Tauriello (senior-geography) drafted the design and presented it to CATA to help ensure accuracy.
“UPUA put together the maps and we provided an okay,” CATA Marketing Manager Jacqueline Sheader said. “Also, there were bus posters put on the buses to get the information out.”
Both Sheader and Harrington are hoping the maps along with a previously implemented coin program will help students become better acquainted with the system.
“UPUA came to us a while back and together we made it possible to sell bus tokens at all of the commons desks,” Sheader said. “We are hoping that having the tokens still available as well as the maps allows students to get out and explore the campus.”
After reaching out to CATA, Harrington met with the Association of Residence Hall Students to gain information on the best way to get the maps out to students.
“We gave Harrington information for distributing and met three times,” ARHS President Caleb Fernandez said. “ARHS also spoke with Resident Assistants to get the maps hung on each floor of East.”
The maps have been distributed to East, Pollock and South Halls and will be available in all student mailboxes for retrieval.
“Even with the CATA app, freshmen have a hard time knowing where to go,” Fernandez (sophomore-communications) said. “The fact that the maps are right there on the floors makes it easier.”
Harrington said the Facilities and Services committee is also working on more permanent maps that detail the tailgate fields outside of Beaver Stadium.
“We wouldn’t be distributing these maps in the same way as the CATA maps, we would figure out a more permanent system such as signs,” Harrington said. There are some that show the fields but we want to augment that.”
Harrington said he hopes the signs will be fully implemented by the 2013 football season, if not by the end of this season.
