The red and yellow bus that transported students last fall as part of the Wave system is gone.
A new blue and white long bus is now in the rotation, replacing the red and yellow bus sourced from the University of Southern California.
The newest addition to the CSUMB fleet, the bus was repurposed to accommodate the influx of students who are utilizing the system.
The arrival and departure of the USC bus was unannounced by campus administration, however its presence on campus was planned long in advance. CSUMB has been in contact with the company SP+ since 2022. SP+ provides CSUMB with their fleet (five shuttle buses and one backup vehicle) as well as necessary maintenance – which ranges from a flat tire to repainting a bus to fit the school’s aesthetics.
However, repainting can be extremely expensive, ranging from $6,000 to $15,000. When receiving through SP+ the university has requirements for the buses to be a certain color, in order to match the school and fleet.
This process was not fully complete with the provided USC backup bus. According to an email sent by Transportation Services, “The contractor was instructed to re-do the bus to match the colors of other existing buses. A request was made for dimensions for new livery through SignWorks.” After fall semester the red and yellow bus was only replaced due to mechanical issues.
The demand for a new bus was a direct need from increased enrollment, and students using the Wave Shuttle System. “Use of the Wave shuttle has increased significantly since last fall 2024,” said Transportation Resources. It is expected that demand will continue to grow alongside the student population.
Daniela Zapien is a third-year sustainable hospitality and tourism student. She is aware of how the bus does not function properly for students traveling across campus, especially for some of her friends.
“I’ve also had a friend who rides the Wave pretty consistently tell me that [the bus] gets packed,” Zapien said. “If you have to sit in the back, it’s kind of a hazard because it’s so long…going over the bumps, you fly in the air. I think they need to get a newer one.”
As an institution, CSUMB has high sustainability goals and prides itself on being a sustainable campus. Public transportation is part of the university’s initiative, taking cars off the road and carbon out of the atmosphere.
Although the bus is not electric, Transportation Resources advocates for the sustainability of high occupancy vehicles, “The goal is to make more people use transit and move away from single occupant vehicles,” said Transportation Resources.
CSUMB administration has yet to put out an announcement about these changes or the presence of the USC bus on campus, as well as the reason for replacing many vehicles within the fleet.