Katie Smith
Staff Reporter
Despite McDaniel’s no-pet policy in the dorms, CATS can now be found on campus.
The Carroll Area Transit System (CATS) has added a stop to its shuttle route at McDaniel. The stop is located at the north parking lot outside the rear entrance of Gill gym. CATS shuttles operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They stop at McDaniel at 8:43 a.m., 10:13 a.m., 11:43 a.m., 1:13 p.m., 2:43 p.m., and 4:13 p.m. The shuttle, normally one dollar per ride, is free to all McDaniel students with ID cards until March.
“It’s a good thing because it helps include McDaniel in the community at large,” Rachael Stecyk, a senior, says of the new stop on campus.
Other CATS shuttle stops in the Westminster community include the Carroll County government, College Square, Carroll Plaza, Cranberry Square, Crossroads Shopping Center, the post office on Main Street, Pennsylvania Avenue and Union Street, Target, TownMall, Wal-Mart, and the Westminster Shopping Center. Shuttles can also be taken from the Westminster Wal-Mart to Taneytown and Eldersburg and on-call transportation is available within Carroll County if CATS is notified at least 24 hours in advance.
Jim Mayola, Liaison for the Community Outreach Service, believes that the new shuttle stop on campus will be beneficial to many students. “I hear from students, especially freshmen, that they don’t always have a way to get around?. This allows students to get all around the town of Westminster,” says Mayola.
“I hope students take advantage of it. It only costs a buck and it’s a quick and easy way to get out,” Mayola adds.
Some McDaniel students think the CATS shuttle stop at McDaniel will be beneficial to many students. Tara Russell, a senior, has a car on campus and does not plan on utilizing CATS. However, she does believe that other students may benefit from it.
“I think it’s great for freshmen, especially?. It can be hard to find rides as freshmen,” Russell says.
Alyssa Barry, a sophomore, agrees and believes CATS could provide students without cars a safer alternative to walking. “That way they don’t have to cross 140,” she says.
Despite some positive outlooks from students, it may not always be a convenient transportation option for some students. With only six pick-up times each day during the week, students with tight schedules may find it difficult to find a pick-up time that works for them.
“It’s a good idea for freshmen and others without cars, but it could be a problem if they can’t go during the times [the shuttles come],” says Rachel Smiroldo.
Regardless, Stecyk believes the addition of the CATS stop at McDaniel is something that will “add to the list of good things [about McDaniel] for potential students.”
For more information about CATS, call 410-876-RIDE (7433) or visit the website at www.carrolltransit.org .