Mr. Lawrence makes a stop at the Walmart at Maplewood Commons, one of three shopping locations serviced by the shuttle. (Ben Gondzu | Contributing Photographer)

WashU students arrived back on campus for the 2025 Spring Semester to be greeted by the Shopper Shuttle, a new shuttle that takes students to stops including Saint Louis Galleria, The Promenade at Brentwood, and the Walmart at Maplewood Commons. The shuttle runs on Saturdays from 9 a.m. through 6 p.m.  

Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Services Jason McClellan mentioned that the new Shopper Shuttle pilot builds off of a previous transportation system the school had a few years ago.

“Before the current transportation program and WashU’s partnership with Metro, WashU operated three shuttle routes — the Redline, Greenline, and Goldline,” McClellan wrote in an email comment to Student Life. “The Redline incorporated stops at the Galleria and Promenade shopping areas. Ultimately, Metro took over those routes and later reconfigured its routes.”

After the old system was replaced by the Metro, students had no University-sponsored method of getting to any major shopping center aside from the Delmar Loop. Students without their own transportation who wished to go to Target to buy groceries or dorm room accessories had to either take the Metro or Uber to get there. 

Even though WashU provides free Metro U-Passes to all full-time students, McClellan and WashU’s Parking & Transportation Department developed the shuttle route to address the lack of direct transportation.

“We developed the pilot in collaboration with Student Affairs as a direct response to student feedback,” McClellan wrote. “We believe this shuttle offers students the opportunity to access a variety of goods at competitive price points. This also encourages students to explore beyond our campus.” 

Students get on the shuttle at stops around the Danforth campus marked with signage. The locations where students can board the shuttle include Dardick House, the Clocktower, the Village House, and Millbrook Garage. 

First-year Julianna Cool said she was excited to try out the Shopper Shuttle since she had previous difficulties getting to the Target in Brentwood. 

“Getting an Uber is expensive, and it’s money I don’t want to spend. With public transportation, it’s usually not on time and it’ll take the whole day,” Cool said. “Especially when we took [the Metro] to the Brentwood Target, we had to trek behind the Chick-fil-A and walk down a hill that’s like all mud.”   

First-year Christiana Wills commented on how she felt the shuttle service could improve and combat overcrowding.

“If there is anything I could change about the shuttle, I would have more than one bus running on a weekend. I feel as though the shopping shuttle gets very full very fast, and many students are left to stand in the aisles,” Wills said. “If there were more shuttles running that could accommodate more students, it would be a valuable effort to put money and resources towards.” 

Another student, first-year Carlos Hernandez, expressed that he wished the shuttle had longer hours. 

“I wish [the Shopper Shuttle] went on for longer. Ending at 6 p.m., I don’t know. I wish it was maybe [running until] 7:30,” Hernandez said.

McClellan emphasized how Student Affairs and University Services are getting student feedback on the shuttle by both word of mouth and other methods, such as an anonymous survey.

“This [data] will determine the future of the Shopper Shuttle route and any changes in days/hours of operation,” he wrote. “We have received compliments from extremely satisfied students/riders, who are happy to have this new shuttle option. They also complimented the shuttle drivers on their friendliness and engagement.”

 WashU hired Lawrence Chavis — who has owned and operated his own limousine chauffeur service for over a decade — to drive the revived Shopper Shuttle.   

Students such as Wills expressed how much they love Chavis, who goes by Mr. Lawrence to students, for his prioritization of student safety and friendly attitude. 

“I feel as though Mr. Lawrence has done a fantastic job with the amount of work that he has been given to accommodate the students,” she said. 

Chavis emphasized how much he liked his new job and the opportunity to work with students. 

“I don’t just like my job, I love my job, and … my thing is safety first and customer service … I’m a people person,” Chavis said. “I like to bring smiles to people’s faces and WashU’s got some of the greatest students that you can really adapt with.”