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Manhattanville changes bus service schedule following death

The Manhattanville College administration has officially modified its shuttle bus service in response to criticism from the student body about the safety of its current schedule and in wake of the death of one of its students.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14, Sharlise Smith Rodriguez, the college’s dean of students, sent a letter to the student body alerting them of upcoming changes in policy for the 2017-18 academic year. According to the memo, following discussions with students, faculty, staff and alumni, and parents, the college’s administration will reinstate the Friday and Saturday late night hours for the Valiant Express from the college to downtown White Plains; specifically, the 1:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. late night bus runs will be reinstated.

The Manhattanville College administration has decided to reinstate its Valiant Express schedule prior to September 2015. Starting in 2017, the shuttle bus will once again pick up students in downtown White Plains as late as 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Photo courtesy Karina Cordova
The Manhattanville College administration has decided to reinstate its Valiant Express schedule to what it was before being changed in September 2015. Starting in 2017, the shuttle bus will once again pick up students in downtown White Plains as late as 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Photo courtesy Karina Cordova

In September 2015, the college altered the campus bus route schedule for Friday and Saturday nights, which typically returned to campus as late as 3:30 a.m. Under the current bus schedule, the Valiant Express makes its final return to campus at 1:30 a.m.

The change in the college’s bus service comes in wake of the death of 21-year-old Robby Schartner, who was killed in October while walking back to school from a night out in downtown White Plains during the early morning hours.

Schartner was struck and killed by Emma Fox, of Rye, who police say was intoxicated at the time of the incident. At the time, police measured Fox with a blood alcohol level of 0.21; the legal limit in New York state is 0.08.

It is unclear if the schedule change made to the Valiant Express was made as a result of Schartner’s death.

As part of the change, the college will discontinue the early morning runs that transport students from the college to and from White Plains from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.

J.J. Pryor, the college’s managing director of the office of communications, could not be reached for comment, as of press time.

Fox, who is charged with an aggravated DWI and first-degree vehicular manslaughter, is currently scheduled to reappear in White Plains City Court on Jan. 6, 2017.