It wasn’t that long ago when only a handful of students actually had their own cars. Today, it seems like every teen who gets their driver’s license, gets their own car as well. And despite what you may be hearing about today’s teens and young adults, they are not quite ready to give up their own cars for current ride-sharing alternatives. In fact, according to a Gen Z Automotive Trends report by Kelley Blue Book, 72% of these teens would rather have a car for a year than use social media. We were as shocked as you probably are to hear these results!
However, these teen drivers, especially those that have just gotten their licenses and are experiencing the freedom and convenience of having their own car, may get a rude awakening in the next phase of their life, when they head off to their college or university.
If your school is like many others around the U.S., you’re trying to manage the influx of more and more cars on campus by prohibiting first-year students from bringing them in the first place. In addition to facing first-year restrictions, there are other reasons why your students may end up not having a car on campus. There’s the issue of limited parking spaces for students and many schools issue parking decals on a first-come, first-serve basis, meaning not every upperclassman that registers their vehicle is guaranteed parking. Plus, there are fees to pay to have cars on campus.
As college administrators know way better than us, the college years, and in particular freshman year, is all about exploration. Whether your school is located in a small community or a diverse city, there are few students who are going to want to be confined to campus life for the entire 30 plus weeks they are residing there. If you don’t have another easily accessible form of transportation set up for these students to take them shopping, out to local restaurants, and even to the airport or train station, then this lack of freedom and flexibility could, best case scenario, cause some aggravation, and, worst case scenario, be a deal-breaker for choosing to go to your school. Many first-year students say that having the opportunity to get off campus and to get to know the area around their school makes an impact on their decision to stay all four years.
Kiessling Transit is an experienced transportation partner who can help colleges and universities, in Massachusetts and beyond, arrange campus transit that is convenient, safe, and economical. We excel in:
Above all else, safety of your students is our top priority. When you work with Kiessling, you can be confident that you’ve put your students in the hands of people that will take great care of them.
If you are interested in working with a trusted, knowledgeable college transportation services company to build out, or improve, your college shuttle services, please contact us for a consultation today.
Since 2014, Kiessling Transit and Dean College located in Franklin, Massachusetts, have partnered to provide transportation options to students during the school year. The Dean “Bulldogs” shuttle bus – named after the school’s mascot – takes kids off campus to satisfy their food cravings at local restaurants or supermarkets, their shopping bug at Target, Wrentham Outlets or Patriots Place, and their need for entertainment like movies and concerts. In collaboration with Dean College, our team actually created a special “shopping shuttle” that each week takes students to a different local retail and restaurant plaza.
Additional details that students and parents may want to know about the Dean Bulldog College Shuttle Service:
Kiessling also offers Dean students a shuttle to and from primary transportation centers located in the Boston and Providence area, including Logan Airport, TF Green Airport, and the Amtrak Station.
In addition, for students who prefer the convenience and flexibility of a ride-sharing experience, Kiessling offers our individual private car service, which is available throughout the entire school year.
To schedule transportation, please call Kiessling Transit Reservations at 855-432-3315, email dean@kiesslingtransit.com, or use the form below to ask a question, make a comment, or tell us about your ride needs.
Over the course of the 13 years that Jon has been with Kiessling Transit, he has held many roles and taken on a variety of responsibilities. Essentially, Jon’s path has paralleled the trajectory of the company. As Kiessling Transit has transformed and grown in the past decade into a leader within the transportation industry, so too has Jon developed from an IT professional and office administrator at the company to a key executive of the organization.
Jon is both a longtime friend and employee of the Kiesslings, having joined the company in 2004. At the time of his hiring, Kiessling was entering into a new MBTA RIDE contract that required a fully dedicated IT person to manage all facets of the company’s technical infrastructure, systems and support. The Kiesslings hired Jon for this critical role for many reasons, including his expert problem-solving skills, his ability to effectively streamline business practices, and, most important, his collaborative and easygoing demeanor. During Kiessling’s contract management of the MBTA’s THE RIDE services on the South Shore, Jon was solely responsible for managing the Wide Area Network (WAN) installation connecting Kiessling’s Norfolk location with the MBTA’s 10 Park Plaza offices in downtown Boston. Jon has also successfully led a number of company projects, with a heavy emphasis on software migrations of multiple company on-premise systems ranging from Microsoft Exchange/Office365 to cloud based Payroll/HR solutions, many which trimmed annual company IT costs significantly.
Today, as Vice President of Operations, Jon works in lockstep with the Kiessling owners, Lars and Roger, and, with great attention to detail, he oversees all the day-to-day operations at the company. His responsibilities include investigating, recommending, installing and upgrading all company software and reviewing company backups of all databases. Jon’s quick thinking and response time, as well as his proactive IT planning, mean that equipment downtime and other operational issues are kept to a minimum.
It’s truly exciting to see the impact that my team and I have had on improving the practices and processes at Kiessling and at our partner companies. Our goal is always to go above and beyond to help our clients accomplish their desired goals. I look forward to helping you make positive changes at your place of business and a genuine difference in the lives of the people you employ and serve.
Before joining the Kiessling team, Jon was already an accomplished manager, operating internal IT departments and new system rollouts. He has held technical roles at a variety of Massachusetts-based companies, including serving as a systems administrator in the IT departments of both Centra Software Inc. (now SABA Software), in Lexington, MA, and TJX Companies in Framingham, MA. He was also a technical recruiter at Judge.com, previously located in Needham, MA.
Jon grew up in Walpole, MA and now lives close by in Wrentham, MA. He earned a Management Information Systems degree from Salve Regina University in 2000.
While leading the operations team at Kiessling is a consuming job, Jon makes sure to build in time for his family, friends and sports. He devotedly coaches his sons’ athletic teams and loves the opportunity this gives him to watch them grow on many different levels. Jon’s other favorite pastimes include attending concerts and Patriots games, enjoying local restaurants, and playing many, many rounds of terrible golf!
Please use the form below to tell us about your transportation needs and a member of our team will respond soon. We look forward to assisting you!