2008 Woodie Awards
Drunk Bus Sobers Up
UVM transportation changes late night bus service by adding another off-campus bus and tightening security
Laura Pedro - Senior Staff Writter
Issue date: 1/30/07 Section: News
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As the lights of the bus come around the corner, the scene turns to chaos as students rush at the bus to acquire a spot on the magic carpet that will bring them downtown.
For those students who get pushed aside or trampled and don't make it onto the bus, there're in luck. Another off- campus bus will be arriving in 15 minutes to bring them to their Saturday night destination.
The department of parking and transportation has renovated the Friday and Saturday night bus schedule and route this semester, resulting in the creation of two off-campus buses and the removal of the on campus bus, transportation manager Michael Altman said.
The new schedule works like this. On Friday and Saturday nights only, there will be one off-campus bus that starts at WDW at 6:15 p.m. and returns at 15 and 45 past the hour. A second off-campus bus will leave WDW at 6:30 p.m. and return on the hour and half hour, Altman said.
After 2 a.m. service will only be provided every 30 minutes, with the last bus arriving at WDW at 3 a.m. (it does not take on any passengers), according to the transportation Web site.
Other changes include a change of route (described in the grey text box on this page). Specifically the bus will no longer be traveling north of Pearl Street.
Altman said the change was made after meeting with the SGA, police services, and risk management. "We were having a very difficult time with masses of students who became somewhat unruly," he said. In that area, north of Pearl Street, a lot of people were chasing the bus down, banging on the bus, or hanging onto the side of the bus, Altman said.
UVM Bus driver Dave Lobdell, who drives the off campus on Friday and Saturday night, hopes the changes will make his job driving more manageable. "Last weekend was the first time I drove without grinding my teeth," he said.
"It is an issue of safety, and the new route is the safest route for our drivers to take," Altman said. "The new route will allow us to do the 30 minute route safely and not rush," he said.
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