The university is continuing to work on a comprehensive transportation plan that will facilitate the commute to and from the new campus for faculty, staff and students. As part of this process, the university has conducted several surveys to determine the needs of the people who plan to commute.
The buses will run from Zamalek, Tahrir Square, 6th of October, Maadi, Heliopolis, Nasr City, Giza and Agouza-Dokki; locations balance access to nearby users with proximity to the most efficient routes to the new campus and space for bus parking. See preliminary bus stop locations here.
"We are in the process of developing a strategy that will take into account - as much as feasibly possible - the various needs of AUC’s community," said Paul Donoghue, vice president for planning and administration, who heads the new campus office. “While the response to the recent survey was good, we need a better response from students, who will make up the majority of users, to complete our planning and the survey will be repeated for students in January."
The shuttle buses will leave from various pick-up points in the Cairo metropolitan area and transport faculty, staff and students to campus; the return buses will stop at the same locations. Buses are expected to run 16 hours a day, beginning at 7:00 am and ending at 11:00 pm. The frequency of bus traffic on each route is expected to be hourly during normal peak periods but will be adjusted to match rider demand throughout the day, including those times where certain offices experience unusual working hours because of peak workload periods. The extended service into the evening will also support all members of the AUC community who have a need or desire to use the wonderful facilities that will be on the new campus beyond the normal teaching or working day. The service will accommodate riders who may need to leave the campus between regularly-scheduled departures to attend to family emergencies. A preliminary timetable will be available in mid-January.
The buses will be made available to all faculty, staff and students who will be able to obtain an annual or semester bus pass. The details of the bus pass system and the cost of the passes will be available early in the new year.
The transportation plan is a major priority to the university and it is expected that the complete program will cost the university millions of dollars annually. The cost will not be covered entirely by fares, but will be subsidized by parking fees on the new campus and the university. The university does not plan to provide transportation allowances other than the subsidized bus service.
Because the transportation to the new campus is a new experience for everyone, the Office of Planning and Administration will consistently monitor its effectiveness to ensure that the needs of faculty, staff and students are being met.
