It’s a frustration that GW community members and commuters everywhere share: You show up at the bus stop just in time to see the bus disappearing around the corner. But new GPS tools in GW’s Vern Express shuttles aim to make this scenario a thing of the past. New shuttle tracking software and text alerts can now help riders pinpoint when a Vern Express shuttle will reach their stop.
Each Vern Express shuttle is now outfitted with a GPS system. Riders may track the shuttles online in real time at www.gwshuttles.com. Riders may also send a text message to “41411” to find information about a specific shuttle stop and when a bus will service that location. Text “GWShuttle,” a space, and the stop number you’re interested in (1 for Mount Vernon campus, 2 for the Red Cross building, 3 for Foggy Bottom, 4 for Hall on Virginia Ave., and 5 for G street.) Texting “GWShuttle 1,” for example, would return information about when a shuttle will arrive at the Mount Vernon campus stop, located at Somers Hall.
“The biggest complaint about the Vern has been service—not knowing when it’s coming,” explained Interim Director of Transportation and Parking Services Wendy Martino. “Now you can see that a shuttle is coming in 15 minutes, and you can go down from your residence hall. And you can also text to get the information while you’re waiting at a stop.”
Ms. Martino said the GW Mobil Application, available at http://acadtech.gwu.edu/pages/gwmobile for iPhone (iOS) or Android, will soon also offer shuttle updates. The function should be available within the next several weeks, she said.
GW junior Tyler Calder, an American Studies major, said she tried both the online tracking system and the text system and was pleased with both. “It was so nice to see that GW was taking the initiative to listen to what students wanted and make an effort to keep us updated on the Vern Express schedule,” she said. “A lot of GW students use smartphones, and the new addition to the app will make information really accessible.”
Detailed schedule and stop information is also available on the Vern Express’s website.