The Carlisle Circulator bus began a three-year trial on Monday, April 28 following years of discussion and preparation among members of the Carlisle community.

The new bus is a new initiative by Capital Area Transit (CAT) that offers service to downtown Carlisle, retail and shopping destinations, health and human services locations and the Dickinson campus. The bus is of particular interest to Dickinson students, since it is the first service to connect the campus to locations such as the Wal-Mart and Target shopping plazas.

Transportation has always posed difficulties for Dickinson students without cars, who have until now been limited to rides from friends, taxi services, Zipcar or the recreational weekend shuttle to get to places outside of walking distance from campus. For students at a small school more than half an hour away from the nearest city, finding reliable and inexpensive transportation can pose a problem, especially for freshmen who are not allowed to have cars on campus. In response to student demand and the initiative of the student government, funding has been approved for a circulator bus service that became available for free student use on April 28, 2014.

The bus was funded by federal and state investments, as well as local municipalities, businesses and organizations. Dickinson was a major supporter in backing the bus, and Dickinson students will receive free transportation with a college ID as a result.

Representatives from CAT have made it clear that the current routes are subject to change based on feedback from riders and that they expect those using the bus to voice their opinions regarding the exact routes and stops. According to the Sentinel, Bob Philbin, spokesperson for CAT specifically noted that the bus service is “going to evolve.”
There are hopes that the circulator bus will make getting from place to place more convenient for students and members of the Carlisle community alike.