Since moving to Henrietta, RIT has been a suburban island for its students, tucked away from the city of Rochester. Students have long expressed a desire for connection options to the rest of the city, especially for those without cars. Attempts have been made by Parking and Transportation to improve the situation, but have they made it any easier for students to travel on and off campus?

Before the fall 2025 semester, RIT announced a transit partnership between the university and WeDriveU. New bus schedules — along with a change in apps from the previous PassioGo to TripShot — were also intended to optimize the campus shuttle experience. With these changes came modifications to off-campus routes and the loss of the previous route to Apex, which has since been operating its own shuttle service.

The new partnership and system have seemingly improved campus transportation, according to third year Mechanical Engineering Technology student Eva Mattison. While utilizing the Park Point shuttle, Mattison spoke of the inconvenience of the system in the spring 2025 semester, in contrast to the fall 2025 semester.

“I have used the shuttles, mostly the Park Point shuttle, since last fall,” said Mattison. “Last spring, they completely went downhill; they weren’t ever on time, and there was one bus doing the full loop. I’d have to leave over an hour early to get to my classes, which was a pain for morning classes. But now, the bus — at least this one [Park Point] — is only a maximum of five minutes late and a couple of minutes early. I would say they’ve gotten a lot better.”

Along with larger-scale alterations, more minimal changes in routes have also been made. On Nov. 6, the university issued an email announcement from Parking and Transportation Services stating that the RIT-RTS connection shuttle would return to its previous route. The change resulted from community feedback, with its stated goal to “make daily commute as smooth and reliable as possible.”

Specifically, the Marketplace Drive and Walmart stop was removed, while the Clay Road and Walmart stop returned beginning on Nov. 10. Other routes were slated for minor timing changes to minimize delays and accommodate drivers.

According to RIT Transportation Services Manager Joel Mazeika, the university typically aims to limit route adjustments to once per semester, though special circumstances may require more immediate modifications.

“The decision [to change the RIT-RTS route] was based on feedback from both drivers and students, with input from our shuttle operator guiding the changes,” Mazeika said.

When asked about the recent changes, longtime RIT shuttle driver Joe Buffum outlined the importance of the route and its optimization for off-campus students.

“That route is one of the ones that shares public transportation with private transportation. Individuals coming from Rustic Village and off-campus locations, such as the apartment complex behind Walmart, rely on it since they’re trying to get to campus, and RTS doesn’t come to RIT,” Buffum stated.

At a Student Government (SG) meeting on Oct. 31, attended by University President Bill Sanders, the connection between RIT students and downtown Rochester was a primary issue. Sanders expressed a desire to allow students to integrate into the downtown Rochester area. SG’s Facilities, Parking, Transportation, and Sustainability Committee Chair, Jameson Baker, added that many students share this sentiment. Baker also noted that many RIT students wonder why campus shuttles cannot have the same range as University of Rochester buses, and Sanders expressed that he’d love to hear more about the issue going forward.

Mazeika adds there are currently no new plans to bridge the connection between RIT and the city, though the university continues to explore ways to strengthen connections in the future.