Students and staff affiliated with CU Denver and the Anschutz Medical campus once had access to a two-stop shuttle service between both campuses. The commute lasted approximately thirty minutes, providing riders with access to medical appointments and their daily academic endeavors. However, after ten years of service, the shuttle became yet another service that sank with the onslaughts brought by COVID-19 on everyday function.  

After the Auraria and Anschutz campuses went remote in March 2020, the shuttle went into disuse and was never re-established. According to Jay Campbell at CU Denver-Anschutz’s Facilities Management and Planning department, “The shuttle service was deemed a non-critical use of the Denver and Anschutz campuses resources.” This decision was made through a “comprehensive review of budgets and costs” after the impact of the pandemic settled, and campuses had to re-evaluate its long-term effects. 

The continuous shuttle was established in early July of 2010 and ran from Anschutz Medical Campus to the Lawrence Street Center Building in downtown Denver. The Anschutz and Denver campuses offered its services free of charge to students and faculty, and it acted as a replacement for the previous shuttle service, the “Van on Demand.” Unlike the CU-Anschutz intercampus bus, which faced an absence of ridership once the pandemic took hold of Denver, the Van on Demand seems to have disappeared without explanation. The Van’s expiration date of over fifteen years ago is further back than current employees could remember. 

One of the biggest impacts on students and faculty is a much longer commute between Denver and Aurora. This trip can last around an hour and a half, cutting into vital time for education and medical consultations. Not only is the commute more than double its original time, but all riders experienced an increase in cost—either in gas, tolls, parking, public transport passes or various fees. Some faculty members even encourage students and staff to carpool or bike in response to the institutional variability regarding transportation. 

To help mitigate these challenges, the university directs students and staff toward public transportation alternatives. Both Campbell and either campus’ website recommend RTD’s bus and rail transportation services as the best alternative to the intercampus shuttle. RTD’s express service makes limited stops “along Colfax and between Boulder and CU Anschutz,” says Campbell. According to the “Plan A Trip” function on RTD’s website, the bus ride between campuses is a little more than an hour when accounting for transfers and wait times. Another feature currently offered to CU Denver students through RTD are discounted annual passes. This feature is the surviving sibling to CU Denver’s Ecopass Program, which “as a part of student fees,” provided RTD services along the I-25 corridor and was “discontinued by the Budget Office and Student Affairs,” according to Campbell’s best recollection. 

Transportation services outside of RTD include the Anschutz Medical Campus Circulator Service. This on-demand shuttle service provides transportation for not only students affiliated with either campus, but also visitors, patients and faculty throughout the week. The Facilities Dispatch Center at the Anschutz Medical campus has additional information on commute time and requesting service. 

For Anschutz students looking for transportation within the Medical campus, the Campus Rail Shuttle makes five stops along RTD’s R line. This shuttle is free and connects riders with university, research, and medical centers. While RTD’s discounted student passes and circulator services offer partial solutions, they cannot fully replace the accessibility and convenience of the intercampus shuttles once provided.