Allegheny CollegeTransportation Summary

Written by Katrina Tulloch

Katrina Tulloch

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Public transportation is virtually nonexistent at Allegheny and in Meadville in general. There are two kinds of transportation available: the town buses and the Loop. Some students do take the Loop downtown and back or as a ride home from the bars, but most people normally don’t. Taxi services aren't used in Meadville, although they do exist; however, it's too expensive for students to pay a taxi fare from Meadville to Erie or Pittsburgh. Attempts have been made to bring Zipcars or a bike-swapping program to campus, but these attempts fell flat (and all the bikes were stolen). Overall, the shuttle service into town or to airports isn't very convenient, as it forces students to schedule their time around when the shuttle leaves.

For the students without a car, it can be a real pain to find someone to take you to Wal-Mart when you need to go. In the winter, sometimes it can be too cold to walk downtown, and you’d really appreciate a ride, but no one is around to help you out. Most of the time, nobody notices the lack of public transportation, but there are times when it would really come in handy. For students needing to fly home on holidays, it's a nuisance to find someone to provide a ride to the airport.