The trial shuttles to the Riverside MBTA station failed to attract a substantial number of students, challenging the Student Union's claim that students want and need transportation to Riverside.

Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said in an interview with the Justice that the shuttle buses served a total of 145 students, which is about 12 percent of the total capacity of the buses and about 2.5 percent of the entire student body.

These numbers are not enough to justify a permanent shuttle. "In viewing of those numbers, I couldn't ask for [a shuttle] full time," said Callahan. "I was willing to pay for the buses because I thought I would see a big return for the community. … I was very disappointed that the numbers weren't there."

Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12 said in an interview with the Justice that the Student Union would stop advocating for a separate Riverside shuttle. Rather, Rosen suggested other methods of transportation to Riverside, such as adding the stop to the route of the Waltham Crystal Shuttles.

Callahan explained that the Department of Public Safety put forward the $1,500 necessary to fund the trials, but a permanent shuttle would require the University to allocate additional funds to Public Safety.

The test shuttles operated on a route from campus to the Riverside Station on Saturday, Nov. 12 and Sunday, Nov. 20, between 12:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The Riverside Station provides public transportation to multiple destinations on the Green Line of the MBTA in Boston, including Government Center, Copley Station and Fenway Park.

On Saturday, the first bus carried 22 passengers and each consecutive bus had fewer than 10 passengers (except the 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. buses that transported 14 passengers each), according to Callahan.

The first Sunday bus transported 12 passengers and the subsequent buses carried fewer than 10 passengers each.

The Riverside shuttle trials were a project initiated by the Student Union.

Head Coordinator of Operations for the Escort Safety Service Shirel Guez '12 explained in an email to the Justice last month that "we were asked to sit in on this meeting after being approached by the Student Union. We were able to provide relevant information regarding van and shuttle usage during weekdays and weekends."

Individuals involved with the project from the Union included Rosen, Union Vice President Gloria Park '13, Off-Campus Senator Rachel Goutman '12 and Senator for East Quad Jeremy Goodman '13.

Some students have raised concerns that the timing of the trial shuttles was poorly chosen. Rosen said that the PULSE survey—which was run last month to gauge student a variety of student opinions—suggested that students would use a Riverside shuttle "every now and then" and that running the shuttle on weekdays could be more beneficial.

Callahan said that he initially offered the Union two trial days and the exact dates and times were decided upon by the Union.

The trials were run on weekends because the Crystal Shuttles to Boston are traditionally very crowded on weekends, said Rosen.

Rosen also suggested working with the Graduate Student Association next semester to coordinate another trial run of the Riverside shuttle.

Callahan said that he would consider an additional one-day trial shuttle in collaboration with both the undergraduate and graduate student representatives during the spring semester.

"I would like to see a full bus," said Callahan.

This is not the first time that the Student Union has advocated for a shuttle bus to Riverside only to have the trials fall flat.

In 2006, a Union-sponsored online survey suggested the student body's support of a shuttle to a stop along the Green Line of the MBTA, according to a Justice interview with then-Senator for the Class of 2008 Michael Goldman in October 2006.

At the time, Callahan voiced many similar concerns including methods of funding and he suggested test trials on weekends.

"The shuttle has to be something feasible for students to give money to," said Callahan in 2006. "If we can find the funding, we'll try and take it off the ground."

These attempts by the Student Union ultimately failed to obtain a shuttle. The Campus Life Committee, according to a November 2008 Justice article, raised the issue again in 2008.

Once again, Callahan noted the financial burden of additional shuttles.

"When it comes down to it, most of the transportation issues discussed are budgetary issues. Students are looking for more services in this time of fiscal conservatism not only in Brandeis but worldwide, so we are concentrating more on maximizing the systems we have," he said.