We have shuttle buses?

Visiting a friend downtown, I found out that the 1 line had completely stopped running down to Times Square. Thanks, MTA. Stuck between walking to the Harlem station to take the C train (cold, lonely) and ordering an Uber (costly, lower self-worth), I pulled perhaps the biggest finesse I have since coming to college. I took the Columbia Shuttle.

I discovered that night that the Columbia Shuttle was an incredibly convenient and underrated resource most students overlook. But personally facing many bumps during my first-time journey taking the bus, I would have appreciated what I will present to you now: a definitive guide to how to take the Columbia Evening Shuttle.

• If you’re traveling between 6 pm and 4 am and have a CUID (unfortunately, Barnard students are excluded), you can use this! There are two lines: the blue line and the red line. If you’re traveling east of Broadway (Amsterdam, Harlem/Manhattan Ave), take the blue line. If you’re traveling west of Broadway (Claremont, Barnard, UTS), take the red line.
• The shuttle will likely not get there on time. The best way to know the shuttle’s location is the SmartTraxx App, or the map on their website. The app works really well and I suggest checking how far away the shuttle is before making the decision to take it.
• The blue line bus stops right at the Amsterdam/116th gate. The red line shuttle stops right across the road, slightly to your left when exiting Columbia. Do not confuse the two!
• Before boarding the bus, make sure you know your stop, as in, exact street intersection names. Oftentimes, the shuttle won’t actually stop at every stop, so the driver will ask you for the exact location.
• Whilst on the bus, I usually check Google Maps for the shuttle’s current location relative to my stop, for peace of mind. If your driver is asking passengers to speak up when they reach their stop, do so and say loudly enough, “This is my stop.”
• You made it! Make sure to be polite to the bus driver throughout, greeting the driver when you board and saying thank you when you depart – remember, Public Safety is nice enough to provide this dope ass service for students.

For reference, I’ve included below the map of the bus routes and the list of Evening Shuttle approximate times provided by Columbia.

Disclaimer: While there is a Barnard-only shuttle with fewer stops (That allows Columbia passengers! What a double standard!), a Baker Athletics complex shuttle, and various Intercampus shuttles that you can take as well, this article covers the main Evening Shuttle provided by Columbia Public Safety.