Adjustments to bus schedules last semester appear to be successful in providing more efficient transportation for South Campus residents.

Though there have been no changes made to South Campus buses for the spring 2012 semester, Parking and Transit Services worked to address issues that came up at the beginning of last semester, said Scot Vanderpool, manager of Parking and Transit Services, in an email. Bus routes were combined at the beginning of the fall semester, which often led to overcrowding, skipped stops and frustrated students.

Parking and Transit Services made adjustments based on observation, which included moving extra buses to places where they were needed most, Vanderpool said. Bus service was added to South Campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:45 to 11 a.m. and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 to 11 a.m., he said.

With the inclusion of the Connective Corridor and Manley Field House buses, up to 15 buses serve the South Campus area at a given time, Vanderpool said. At peak time — about 9 to 9:30 a.m. — 11 buses run through South Campus housing, as do four Connective Corridor or Manley buses, he said.

Sophie Liu, a freshman economics major living in the SkyHall buildings, said she feels the bus system is nice and always on time or early. Though she said the system is efficient, Liu said she thinks the numbers on the buses, such as 344 or 144, are confusing and that she took the wrong bus twice the day before.

Liu also said she once lost her key on a bus and was unable to retrieve it because the bus driver could not be reached.

Spike Anderson, a sophomore in the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries living on Winding Ridge, said he hasn’t had any problems with the South Campus bus system so far. Anderson said he didn’t notice the issues that other South Campus residents did early last semester, but noted he lives at one of the first bus stops and didn’t experience too much overcrowding.

The bus system will continue to be surveyed, especially during morning class times on South Campus, to plan ahead for adjustments for the fall 2012 semester, Vanderpool said.

‘South Campus buses seem to be working out very well this semester and more efficient than early on in the fall semester,’ Vanderpool said. ‘I’m sure students have also adjusted, by getting earlier buses and that also helped the service become more effective.’

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Published on January 25, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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