The Vassar Community Shuttle

For the rest of the spring semester Vassar will continue to test out a free shuttle bus service into Poughkeepsie, now making six stops every half-hour. Improvements to the free shuttle bus service route and schedule go into effect April 2, to include two more stops and later hours. On Wednesdays the shuttle will make its final return to campus at 8:00p, and on Thursdays and Fridays at 10:00. Continue to look for the white 29-seat mini-bus operated by Leprechaun Lines, and please show your Vassar ID to the driver.

• Full schedule – weekday service to Poughkeepsie
• Destinations – easy walks from the shuttle stops
• Map of route – including printable PDF

The first stop on the route is a short walk to Poughkeepsie Middle School and Poughkeepsie High School, for people who tutor and have other activities at the two schools. The remaining downtown Poughkeepsie stops are an easy walking distance to a variety of organizations, programs, schools, and businesses, as well as to eateries, galleries, theaters, and other arts and entertainment venues.

The shuttle's two new stops are at the Poughkeepsie Train Station, and within a short block of both the full-service Casa Latina grocery store and a sizeable Rite-Aid pharmacy. Every half-hour loop of the shuttle will now pick up and drop off at the Chapel lawn (just across from Main), and include these stops:

• College Avenue and Worrall Street (Middle School and High School)
• Main Street and Corlies Avenue (Casa Latina grocery and Rite-Aid pharmacy)
• N. Hamilton Street (Family Partnership Center, Catharine St. Community Center)
• Market Street/City Hall (Muddy Cup, Bardavon Theater, DMV, Civic Center)
• Poughkeepsie Train Station (Hudson River, Waryas Park, Soul Dog, art galleries)
• Eastbound 44/55 Arterial and Market Street (Children's Media Project, Tubman Terrace apartments, Clearwater, Barrett House, Janet's Jerk Joint)

Priority seating for the first three shuttle trips each day, leaving at 2:00, 2:30, and 3:00, will be provided for particular student uses: Vassar After School Tutoring (VAST), other volunteer programs and internships, Community Service Work-Study, and Field Work. "With a 29-seat bus, there should be plenty of room for everyone," said Jeff Kosmacher, cochair of the Campus-Community Advisory Committee and the college's Director of Media Relations. "We just know these important programs have peak transportation needs during very specific times."

Students and employees riding the shuttle will be asked to show the driver a Vassar ID.

"We definitely designed the shuttle route and schedule around some of Vassar's key community activities. But our overall intention is to help everyone at Vassar participate more in Poughkeepsie, and enjoy more of the city," said Kosmacher. "From our discussions and campus surveys, the committee learned that reliable off-campus transportation is a tool Vassar needs and wants, and this shuttle is a start. And we want employees and students alike to make use of the service, whether you're going into Poughkeepsie for a project, a meeting, a meal, an event, or just to hang out."

Weekday service to Poughkeepsie

Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday schedule

Thursday & Friday schedule

Destinations

Sample locations within walking distance of shuttle stops (street address and shuttle stop number in parentheses):

Organizations/Offices/Government/Businesses

• Barrett House (Stop 4) (55 Noxon Street)
• Catharine St. Community Center (Stop 2) (Mansion between Hamilton and Catharine)
• Children's Media Project (Stop 3) (20 Academy Street between Main and Cannon)
• Clearwater (Stop 4) (Montgomery and Market)
• Clinton School (Stop 4) (100 Montgomery between Academy and Hamilton)
• Dutchess County executive bldg. and court house (Stop 3) (Market Street between Main and Church)
• Dutchess County Health (Stop 2) (387 Main between Hamilton and Catherine)
• Family Partnership Center (Stop 2) (N. Hamilton Street stop)
• Nubian Directions (Stop 3) (248 Main between Academy and Market)
• Planned Parenthood (Stop 4) (17 Noxon Street)
• Poughkeepsie City Hall (Stop 3) (Market Street between Mill and Mansion)
• Poughkeepsie High School (Stop 1) (70 Forbus Street at May Street/Lown Court)
• Poughkeepsie Middle School (Stop 1) (55 College Avenue at Worrall Avenue
• Scenic Hudson (Stop 3) (1 Civic Center Plaza at Main and Market Street)
• Tubman Terrace apartments (Stop 4) (Church Street between Jefferson and Market)
• Vassar Bros. Hospital (Stop 4) (Lincoln Avenue and Livingston Street)
• YMCA (Stop 4) (Montgomery Street and South Avenue)

Restaurants/Arts/Entertainment

• Aegean (Stop 3) (33 Academy Street between Cannon and Church)
• Artist's Palette (Stop 3) (307 Main between Academy and Market)
• Bardavon Theater (Stop 3) (35 Market between Main and Cannon)
• Busy Bee (Stop 4) (138 South Avenue at Franklin Street)
• Chance theater/club (Stop 2) (Main between N. Hamilton and Catharine)
• Civic Center/McCann Ice Arena (Stop 3) (Market between Main and Mill)
• Cuneen-Hackett Art Center (Stop 3) (12 Vassar Street off Lower Main)
• Janet's Jerk Stop (Stop 3) (22 Academy between Main Street and Cannon Street)
• Lower Main Street Art Galleries (Stop 3) (Lower Main between Vassar St. and Columbia Drive)
• Mill House Panda (Stop 3) (289 Mill Street at Garden Street)
• Muddy Cup (Stop 3) (303 Main between Academy and Market)
• Soul Dog (Stop 3) (107 Lower Main Street between N. Clover and N. Perry)
• Spanky's (Stop 3) (85 Lower Main Street between N. Clover and Davies Place
• West Indies (Stop 3) (105 Lower Main Street between N. Clover and N. Perry)

Map of downtown Poughkeepsie

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