By Brandon Max Flores and Daniel Rivera-Salazar

The State of Transportation to CSI in Fall 2024

Faculty Mentor: Professor Emma K. Johnson

Department of Media Culture, College of Staten Island, CUNY.

Discover the latest trends and data on how students commute to campus, in order to help improve commuter experiences.

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Introduction to Our Research

Transportation is often overlooked as a factor in higher education access and retention. Public transportation relative underserves Staten Island compared to the rest of New York City, and CSI is primarily a commuter campus with a large physical footprint and currently only one bus line that enters the campus itself. In June 2024, the College of Staten Island discontinued both its campus loop shuttle and ferry bus services due to budget constraints. Because our campus is so difficult to access without a car, this left many students, faculty, and staff at CSI facing longer, less predictable, and more complex commutes. Our COM 450 Senior Seminar in Communication Research spent Fall 2024 researching how the CSI community responded to these changes, particularly how the loss of the shuttles affected commuting behaviors and perceptions of safety. We also looked more broadly at how people at CSI get information about transportation.

Research Objectives

Defining Our Goals

To assess how CSI’s elimination of shuttle services has impacted commute times, transportation access, safety, and to learn more about where people at CSI get information about commuting. Our research can identify patterns and areas of concern that may guide future campus policy and advocacy.

Research Methodologies

Methodological Approaches

Our research employed a preliminary survey conducted in person in September 2024, followed by a more extensive survey conducted in person, in November 2024. Our survey represented a convenience sample of the campus body, including students, staff, and faculty. In addition, observations of how the CSI campus body used public transportation were conducted to understand the behaviors of those utilizing public transportation. Likewise, our research studied the accesibility of transportation information and quality of the information grading both on a scale of 1-5.

Surveys

  • Preliminary Survey- 5 questions, 200 responses
    • Anonymous digital survey conducted entirely in-person on campus
  • Second Survey: Over 30 questions, 203 responses
    • Anonymous digital survey conducted in-person on campus and online via a poster distributed on campus containing a QR code to the second survey
    • Demographic profile of our respondents shows a close match to the institutional profile of enrolled students.

Data Collection

  • Parameters
      • 4-year CUNY campuses
      • Must be directly accessible from the main website (EX: CSI.cuny.edu vs. Google Maps)
  • Data Collected
    • How many clicks to access from main website’s homepage
    • Transportation options and directions given

Observations

  • Over a 2-week period, 6 people conducted observations at the two campus bus stops, for a total of about 12 hours. 
  • Primarily during the afternoon hours (this is the busiest time on campus)  
  • We kept logs to note the frequency of busses, the number of people at the stops, and observable behavior

Research Findings Overview

Preliminary Survey

Follow up Survey

Primary Method of transportation to campus.

Final bus or train you take most often to campus?

How many transfers do you make during your commute?

Ethnicity

Do you feel safe commuting to campus?

Do you feel others saftey has been impacted since June 2024?

Where are you commuting from?

Part time Vs Full time

Has transportation changes made you consider changing schools or jobs?

Those who Feel Safe Commuting to Campus Since June 2024 by Ethnicity.

Those Who do Not Feel Safe Commuting to Campus Since June 2024 by gender.

Has transportation changes made you consider changing schools or jobs?

Commuter Transportation Information Accesibility and Quality Scores.

Research Significance

Impact and Implications

This research reveals that transportation is a structural barrier at CSI that affects safety, satisfaction, and retention. While the college provides some resources, there is a persistent gap in communication and equity. These findings emphasize the need for responsive transit advocacy, improved outreach, and support for commuters facing complex or inaccessible routes to campus.

References

Cited Works and Sources

  1. Adams, John R., and Teresa Green. “Addressing Urban Transportation Equity in the United States.” Fordham Urban Law Journal, 2023.
  2. McGuire, Kathleen, and David Klein. “Transportation Experiences of College Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.” Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2023
  3. Schuette, Anthony. “Transportation as a Barrier to Higher Education.” Trellis Company, 2023.

    Acknowledgments

    Gratitude and Recognition

    This research was conducted as part of a class in the Department of Media Culture. 

    Members of the Fall 2024 COM 450 class contributed to this research: AnXian Chen, Matthew Clerville, James DiCristo, Maximilian Dudkin, Brandon Flores, Omar Hamdan, Ryan Irizarry, Nikki Levin, Nabiswa Mwesiga, Jerry Ramirez, Daniel Rivera-Salazar, and Jovani Rojasperez 

    We thank the CSI Transportation Task Force, the CSI College Council, and the CSI Student Government for allowing us to share our research when it was in progress, and for generously asking questions and giving us feedback