Long Beach State’s Parking and Transportation Services is in the process of replacing its existing GPS tracking system for its shuttle app, the Ride Systems app.
Parking and Transportation Services is actively working on replacing its existing GPS tracking system, TransLoc. TransLoc is the shuttle’s current real-time vehicle tracking system in the Ride Systems app, and it’s looking to get replaced with improved capabilities, according to Chad Keller, Public Relations and Communications Specialist.
“We see this problem with the shuttles communicating with the app itself until we can reboot it, and then they start showing up again, and then they’ll quickly fall offline,” Keller said. “It’s just not meeting our requirements, so it’ll be replaced.”
Understanding the campus shuttle system can save students time and fatigue by offering a convenient way to reach their classes and sparing students from being out of breath and sweating from long walks to class.
It serves as an excellent means of campus transportation, particularly for individuals facing mobility challenges.
“The primary audience for the shuttle is mobility challenges,” Keller said. “Whether it’s temporary disabilities, like spraining an ankle, being on crutches, navigating in a wheelchair or carrying large items across campus.”
There are four shuttle routes in total, operating within a rotation of 10 shuttles. During the initial four weeks of classes, two additional shuttles are implemented to address overcrowding.
Among these routes, three — West Loop, East Loop, and All Campus Tripper — are dedicated to serving the campus area. The fourth route, Beachside, is specifically designed to cater to the transportation needs of Beachside residents commuting between campus and Beachside Village.
Non-Beachside students can ride the Beachside shuttle if space is available, but priority seating is given to Beachside residents, who show their residency with a sticker on their CSULB ID card.
The West and East Loops are the most popular choices for students seeking transportation to general parking areas on the west and east sides of campus.
There is a misconception about the arrival times of the shuttles on campus not getting to their stops on time. There is no specific arrival time, according to Keller. The shuttles run continuously, and during peak hours, they get to each spot every seven to eight minutes.
“They’re constantly circling. We don’t have any shuttles clump up at one section of the loop. We keep one at opposite sides,” Keller said.
Students can view the live map on the Ride Systems webpage, which shows where each shuttle is and when it will arrive.
There are students who prefer to walk from their cars to class, which is often on the far side of campus, rather than learn a system most don’t understand. Students who utilize the shuttles have found them to be incredibly beneficial, waiting a reasonable wait time, while moving around campus efficiently.
“The timing seems to be very consistent. And if you ever just need to double-check where and when it’s [the shuttle’s] here, the app is very accurate in terms of when it’s coming and when it’s not,” Jasmin Ramirez, freshman marine biology major, said.
Students can get real-time shuttle tracking information and view the live map on the Ride System app, which is ready to download for Android or Apple devices.