Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Transportation

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Public transit in Troy isn’t anything to write home about, but it meets most students’ needs. You can get basically anywhere you need to go, though it may take longer than you want. The CDTA buses have routes both through RPI campus and Troy, all of which are free with a student ID—and the bus drivers usually don’t mind if you and your 10 friends hop on the bus a little drunk for a ride back to campus. For the most part, however, if you want to get around town, it’s usually just as fast to walk. The bus is a nice option to have in the cold winter months, but it’s important to allow extra time.

For getting out of town, the bus can take you to the airport or train station. In terms of more practical needs, routes head to the local Price Chopper and Wal-Mart—again, all free of charge. Of course it’s not as fast as a car, but it’s free and beats walking across town with your groceries in hand. It’s rumored that RPI plans to expand the off-campus bus routes, allowing students who live farther off campus easier access; while this may happen in the coming years, right now it’s just as easy to drive if you have a place too far away.

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Students Speak Out

RPIJG says: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2013 Computer and Information Sciences

RPI Shuttles are relatively decent... RPI Shuttles are relatively decent when it comes to getting around campus, and the local CDTA bus system isn't anything to complain about. It's nothing spectacular, but it's not particularly a problem. 12345 Transportation: March 12, 2009 Report

RPIBD says: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2014 Engineering

The Red Hawk Shuttle runs fairly... The Red Hawk Shuttle runs fairly frequently around campus and is very convenient. Off campus, the CDTA system is a little less reliable and can make trips that would otherwise take five minutes turn into an hour. 12345 Transportation: March 02, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

Pretty good, there’s a bus that... Pretty good, there’s a bus that runs downtown, one that goes to the mall, and one that runs to Wal-Mart, all of which are free with your ID . . . what else do you need? 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

RPI students are allowed free... RPI students are allowed free rides on the bus. The cabs are only a phone call away. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

Buses come and go a good deal of... Buses come and go a good deal of the time, but they aren’t very good with keeping exact schedules. They are known to leave five to ten minutes early, which can be very frustrating. 12345 Transportation Report

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