Senator John Giannetti said that allowing the Shuttle-UM to service non-student city residents would promote goodwill between the city and the university and a joint identity between the two. It would bring the whole community together, he said.

Congratulations are in order for the senator. He seems to have found the long-awaited answer to the massive rift between the city and university that has gone decades unsolved and been further irritated by rioting and expanding student housing in the city.

Or not.

If only smoothing over some of the city and university’s discord was as simple as expanding Shuttle-UM. Unfortunately, the plan to allow city residents to ride expanded routes without checking any riders’ ID painfully slights students in the long run.

First of all, the plan opens up a direct, unchecked route onto the campus for anyone who wants it in an area already plagued by crime.

Maj. Cathy Atwell of the University Police warns of serious safety concerns with this plan. Just as a group of armed young men walked onto the campus and shot a university student this summer, now they could easily jump on the bus and take that directly onto the campus, since the security gates do not stop and check the buses,. Police guard the entrances to the university and keep a record of any car that drives onto the campus at night, but anyone could slip right by, quite conveniently, directly to the heart of the campus.

Officials should also carefully consider the cost burden.

It costs about $4 million annually for Shuttle-UM to run, mostly funded by student activity fees. Each student paid more than $100 to use the shuttle this year, while the more than 24,000 College Park residents wouldn’t have to pay a dime.

Instead, Giannetti is proposing the city cover the costs with a meager first estimate of $10,000. Considering University View pays $84,000 just for the shuttle to run from its complex to the campus, it would be tough to imagine that Giannetti’s proposed figure would cover the route expansions that would be needed to service the city and keep the shuttle running in a way convenient for students.

Those in support of the idea must take a more critical look at the effects and costs of this plan before agreeing to anything. Ultimately the university shuttle is for university students, and that should remain the first priority.