College Of The Desert Premiers Roadrunner Express Shuttle Service

PALM DESERT, CA — College of the Desert will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the launch of the Roadrunner Express, its new shuttle that will provide students with free rides between campuses.

The event will get underway at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Cravens Student Services Center on the Palm Desert Campus, 43500 Monterey Ave., according to a statement from the college. The community is invited to attend the ribbon-cutting to learn more about how the service and others are advancing access to education.

"Many students don't have their own vehicle. They can get a ride to campus, but traveling to other campuses can be difficult. This is another way we are driving home our slogan `Your Community, Your College,"' Superintendent/President Laura Hope said in a statement. "We want students to feel at home at COD and to feel that they have access to the tools they need to succeed."

The shuttle service will be available to students through their ID cards and will offer transportation to other campuses. The shuttle was offered as a solution to students' repeatedly voiced concerns about transportation during Hope's listening tours.

The Roadrunner Express is set to make three roundtrips per route Monday through Thursday except for holidays, college officials said. The buses will begin to arrive from the east and west routes at 7:45 a.m.

Students will also be able to use the new service in tandem with their SunLine Transit Agency's Haul Pass, according to college officials.