Transportation Services

We offer several options to help you travel to and from Canton.

Students
The University offers bus service to and from several transportation centers at the beginning and conclusion of vacations and breaks during the semester. Schedule and cost information is distributed to students at the start of each semester and prior to each trip. Information is also available here.

Students may also contact Potsdam Taxi directly for transportation to several surrounding airports such as Syracuse, Ottawa, Montreal, Watertown, Ogdensburg, and Massena. For transportation to and from Ottawa only, students may also contact West-way Taxi.

Free At each official semester vacation or break
Free Once each semester per student for personal use
Free Unlimited family emergency trips as verified by the Dean’s office
Free One interview trip for seniors as verified by the Career Services office

The detailed requirements for this service are described here.

Faculty and Staff
Employees traveling on University business may drive their own vehicle to and from transportation centers or have a family member drive them and will be reimbursed for the mileage costs as well as toll and parking fees. The reimbursement rate is 41.2 cents per mile. If an accident occurs during business travel resulting in damage to a personal vehicle, the owner and his or her insurance are responsible for damages; however, the University may reimburse the employee for the deductible up to $200. If an accident occurs during business travel which results in damage or injury to a third party, the owner’s insurance will apply first, and if necessary, the University’s insurance will supplement.

Employees may also hire an authorized student driver to drive them to and from transportation centers in a University Fleet vehicle, the employee’s vehicle or the student’s vehicle. If a University Fleet vehicle is used, the university’s insurance will cover any costs of accident or injury. If a personal vehicle is used and an accident occurs, the owner and his or her insurance are responsible for any damages.

Facilities Operations (ext. 5601) maintains a list of authorized student drivers and will provide names and phone numbers to departments upon request. Facilities Operations should also be contacted to reserve a University Fleet vehicle if required.

If a University employee hires a student driver, the employee is responsible for notifying Financial Aid to pay the student driver for the hours worked. Students driving their personal vehicles should also be reimbursed for mileage by submitting an approved reimbursement request to the Business Office.

Potsdam Taxi will transport employees to and from several transportation centers with a 48-hour notice and may be contacted directly at 275-7506. Their charge for transport to or from the airport in Ottawa is $115 and their charge for Syracuse is $165.

When reservations are made, both companies should be provided with the University budget code to charge for the service and they will bill the Business Office directly for payment. There is no charge for cancellations made at least 12 hours before the scheduled pick-up, but cancellation fees are charged if less notice is provided.

West-way Taxi will transport employees to and from Ottawa and may be contacted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 613-727-0166. During other times, the dispatcher may be reached at 613-523-1234. Advance reservations are not required. Their charge for transport to or from the airport in Ottawa is $150 Canadian. The employee should provide the driver with the appropriate budget code and West-way Taxi will bill the University directly.

Campus Visitors
Guest lecturers and artists and employee candidates may require transportation to and from transportation centers. University employees arranging travel for such visitors have several alternatives for providing transportation and the most appropriate arrangements will depend on factors such as scheduled arrival and departure times, the purpose and length of the visitor’s stay, and the available budget funding the visitor’s transportation. All of the options available for transporting visitors are listed below.

1) A University employee may volunteer to transport a visitor in their vehicle or a University fleet vehicle. Since this would be considered University business, the guidelines for employees traveling on University business described previously are applicable.

2) University employees/departments may hire an authorized student driver to transport a visitor and all the guidelines described previously for hiring student drivers to transport University employees are applicable.

3) University employees/departments may also contact Potsdam Taxi, or West-way Taxi to transport visitors and the procedures and costs are the same as those described previously for transporting university employees.

4) In some circumstances, reservations of a rental car for a campus visitor may be made and the visitor may pick up and drop off the car at the airport. Avis rental cars may be reserved by contacting Travel Unlimited at 386-8525. Departments should provide Travel Unlimited with the appropriate budget code and Avis will bill the University directly.

5) A list of drivers is available fro Linda Bascom in Security & Safety, x5010.