Returning students are beginning to arrive in Pullman, along with new students first coming to the area. Beyond walking and driving themselves, there are several methods of communication available to WSU students.
Public Transit:
According to their website, as of Aug. 17, Pullman Transit offers seven routes, operating from 6:30 a.m. at the earliest up to 6:40 p.m. at the latest. The maps for their routes can also be found on their website.
As of Aug. 19, Pullman transit will begin running at the Community Plus Service level, which will include eight routes, including the campus route, running Monday through Friday except holidays.
Members of the general public can utilize Pullman Transit by paying per ride or can purchase a monthly, semi-annually or annual pass However, WSU students, staff and faculty can ride the bus by presenting their valid WSU ID when boarding.
For those not attending WSU, bus fare is $1, while a monthly pass is $30, a semi-annual pass $165 and an annual pass is $300.
College Cabs:
College Cabs is a taxi service available in the Pullman-Moscow area, said April Borden, co-owner of College Cabs. The service provides transports all the way up to Spokane but is mostly requested for transports within the Pullman-Moscow region.
The service was started in 2011 by Borden’s husband Rob. There’s a variety of locations students usually request transport to, Borden said.
“From midnight to midnight it looks so different but the same. There’s the airport, people going to work, people going to social things, people coming home from the hospital,” Borden said. “It’s an array of different locations.”
The drivers for College Cabs are independent contractors, Borden said. They are trained and then up and running in the cabs, with about 18 drivers currently, but they aim to grow to 35.
Those interested in booking a ride can do so by calling the number listed on their social media, as well as downloading their app, Boerden said. There is not a fee for canceling a ride, and the cost for a ride is $.036 for every 10 yards driven.
“It’s really nice for the cab drivers and the independent contractors. They get to make up their own schedule,” she said. “If someone is looking to also drive with us they have to be 23 or older and have a clean criminal history and a clean background check.”
Airports:
There are three major airports in the general area used by students to arrive in and leave Pullman. Those airports are Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, Spokane Regional Airport and Lewiston Nez Perce County Airport.
Mike Isaacs, director of Lewiston Nez Perce County Airport, said usually there is an increase in traffic at the airport during the beginning of the school year.
“Right now the majority of the passengers are still cruise ship passengers, but we are picking up several students on our shuttle,” Isaacs said. “The beginning of the season is a big time for us. Spring Break by far is the biggest.”
Lewiston operates a shuttle service that takes students to and from campus, Isaacs said. The shuttle is also available for faculty. Booking for the shuttle is available on their website.
“There’s a pickup spot and it’s right by the blue heart outside the Fine Arts building,” Isaacs said. “We also take students to and from UI.”
Isaacs said Lewiston usually does not usually have any problem dealing with an influx of students during the busiest times of the year. The new parking system, mentioned in a previous Evergreen article, is one way the process of using the airport will be made easier.
“The parking system did start up and is working well,” he said. “We eliminated the hassle for customers to guess when they’re going to be back.”
