The ride to class on a Ball State University shuttle isn't usually all that productive, but students who rode the MITS trolley along The Loop this winter accomplished a lot.
Due to the high ridership numbers and general student support of the Loop, Ball State administrators decided Thursday to bring the east-of-campus shuttle back on a permanent basis.
The university paid attention to students' interests, then put a service based on those interests into practice.
And that's what administrators should always be doing - meeting student needs.
With so many students living in the housing east of campus, it simply makes sense to provide them with an easy way to get to campus. The permanent route should also help with commuter parking lot congestion and will offer an environment-friendly method for students to get to school.
The benefits of the Loop are numerous, and the university will likely notice more of them as the service continues.
But the process isn't finished yet. The university has eight months before the shuttle service is running east of campus again, and it should spend that time wisely planning ahead.
If the expanded shuttle routes cause crowding and delays for the on-campus shuttles, students will be frustrated with the change. Such a problem is more possible with the university running the east-of-campus service than it would have been if MITS were bringing the trolley back, but realistic planning can help the university avoid those kinds of hurdles.
Also, administrators must be sure the funds are available to keep the system running next year and into the future. To continue the trend of meeting students' needs, administrators must also be careful in determining where the funds are coming from - namely, not entirely out of students' pockets.
And for the future of Ball State's shuttle service - which seems to be progressing from a parking system to a transportation system - administrators have to expect students will begin requesting service in other areas predominantly composed of student housing.
Administrators need to be prepared for those challenges - and be willing to solve them while still focusing on students' interests.
But the university would never consider such improvements without student support of the current shuttle service expansion. If students appreciate the university's work to improve near-campus transportation, they need to voice those opinions and show the university their appreciation.
One great way to do so would be to keep riding.
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