WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and SportsUWEC to offer students Saturday night shuttle service

UWEC to offer students Saturday night shuttle service

Eau Claire (WQOW) - A new shuttle program at UW-Eau Claire aims to get students out around town. 

This fall, the university is offering a shuttle service on Saturday nights.  Starting at 6:00 PM, a bus will travel around Eau Claire taking students to places of interest, like the mall or Action City. 

As someone new to the area, Thomas Trione is looking forward to finding out what Eau Claire has to offer. 

"I would go to movies with my friends and out to eat off campus and get to see the city more," says Thomas Trione, a UW-Eau Claire freshman. 

To help, the university is trying a free shuttle service on Saturday nights for all students. 

"Students have told us they would like to experience things going on in the City of Eau Claire after 6 PM, so we started the Saturday night shuttle, which has a set route going to entertainment venues off campus like movie theatres, restaurants and the mall," says Jennifer Lee, UW-Eau Claire Center for Alcohol Studies & Education Director. 

Lee, who is organizing the shuttle program, says the bus is not meant to serve as a designated driver, but as a way to show students there's more to do than drink. 

"People like to travel in groups and this offers them the chance to all go to a movie together or they could to Action City all together or have a party of eight at a restaurant," says Lee. 

Matt Winarski, a senior at UW-Eau Claire, is a volunteering to help out with the shuttle service..  Winarski says he wishes something like this was available when he came to campus. 

"The two semesters I didn't have a car, it was very hard to find things to do and I would have to rely on my RA or upper classmen that had a car and knew the area," says Winarski. 

Trione says he plans to take advantage of the shuttle. 

"I think it's a great idea and I think it's a great opportunity for students to get off campus and go to different parts of the city and get to know the area more," says Trione. 

"We're hoping it's an attractive option, people are talking about it, so I think our worse problem will be how to add a bus and make it more permanent," says Lee. 

There will also be fun things to do on the bus.  Volunteers will hold trivia contests with a chance to win prizes like movie tickets or dinner.  

The university will see how things go during the fall and make a decision whether to continue the shuttle service in the spring.  The cost to operate the shuttle is being paid for by the Student Senate.