Arrow reporter Ariangelis Ortiz discusses the leading story on SEMO public transportation. Southeast Missouri State University’s shuttle system will shift to Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority on July 1, promising expanded routes, improved safety, and a new real-time tracking app for students.
Southeast Missouri State University’s shuttle system will be officially handed over to the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority (CGCTA) beginning July 1, university officials confirmed this week.
Dr. Rich Flotron, Director of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) at SEMO, said the change aims to improve reliability and expand service for students while transitioning operations to an agency better equipped to handle public transportation needs.
"The shuttle service is going to be transitioned to CGCTA… Everything will basically stay as is," Flotron said. "The only thing is the university will no longer be involved in that."
Students should not expect any disruption in service. The current drivers will be offered employment by CGCTA. “They will just become employees of CGCTA,” Flotron said.
The SEMO’s shuttle service transported 53,892 students in the 2025 Spring semester, yet Dr. Rich mentioned that there are plans to expand the existing routes.
“What will happen is, at least the preliminary plans are, they will continue to go north on North Sprigg, and go to like Cape Trails, and then kind of circle around up there, because right now, that's not serviced by our shuttles,” Flotron said.
SEMO News, which is run by SEMO’s marketing team, stated the new system maintains the existing routes while also going to "shopping centers, medical offices, recreational facilities, and other community resources."
The partnership comes with a number of anticipated improvements, and administration mentioned that one of the benefits of transitioning is that “the service allows SEMO to reallocate resources and focus on core institutional priorities, while still providing quality transportation through a trusted partner.”
Flotron noted that CGCTA will retrofit all buses with onboard cameras, enhancing safety measures.
"Sometimes I think safety is always kind of paramount with people whenever they're talking about doing something different and something new," he said.
Additionally, students will benefit from a new mobile app—currently in development by CGCTA—that will allow them to track shuttles in real time. The app is expected to launch by August 1. "It’s going to be kind of like a big city transportation model,” Flotron said, describing how students could transfer between shuttles at locations across Cape Girardeau.
The new arrangement will also eliminate the WINGS shuttle program, which only operated on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays. In its place, a CGCTA shuttle will run every 30 minutes from the Nexus building near the recreation center, offering broader access to city-wide transit.
Flotron emphasized that this shift was motivated by a desire to better serve students.
"We approach this with, you know, students first, right? So, provide the best service we can in providing the students," he said. "CGCTA, this is what they do every day, all day long, 365 days a year. We don't."
The university cited challenges with part-time staffing, driver availability, and increasingly complex federal transit regulations as reasons for the transition. "here's so many new regulations, when it comes to the federal and state regulations, when it comes to transit or transportation, that we just were not necessarily equipped to handle." Flotron said.
SEMO initiated the transition process, reaching out to CGCTA to explore a handover that would ensure continuity and regulatory compliance. Flotron confirmed, "Yes," when asked if SEMO reached out to CGCTA because of these concerns.
SEMO News states this transition, CGCTA, will provide additional transit options for “high-demand campus events such as move-in day, athletic competitions, commencements, and other large gatherings.”
The switch to CTA will also alleviate some Student Government funds, allowing them to dedicate more money to student organizations.
This is an ongoing story. Check the southeastarrow.com for updates.
The Southeast Arrow, a student-run news publication and news partner with KRCU Public Radio, originally published this story.
