Published: October 01, 2007 11:52 pm         

Sycamore students now have campus bus service

TERRE HAUTE — A “new era” of city bus service began Monday with the launching of a new Indiana State University campus shuttle and three modified bus routes with extended evening hours.

The extended evening hours for the East Wabash, Plaza North and South Seventh street routes “are putting a smile on my face,” ISU student Michael Lofton said as he sat at the bus transfer center Monday.

He doesn’t have a car, and the later routes will give him more time to do his shopping or go out to eat after classes.

The campus shuttle and extended-hour bus routes are being provided by the Terre Haute Transit Utility. ISU students taking at least six credit hours are paying a new $15 per semester transportation fee to help fund the service, which is expected to generate more than $200,000 per year.

About half the cost of the new services will be paid through student fees and the rest through federal dollars.

ISU students and employees can use the campus shuttle and other city bus routes for free by showing their ISU identification.

The Student Government Association, working with the city, was instrumental in bringing the initiative to reality, said A.J. Patton, Student Government Association president.

“It was truly a student-led initiative from beginning to end,” Patton said. Students also worked with ISU administration to make it happen.

Students “are receiving a service that is class A, completely designed for them and by them,” said Patton. The campus shuttle also has flexibility and can be changed based on student needs.

The new service will help students who must park farther from campus because of all the construction under way at ISU. It also allows students to travel by bus throughout the city at no charge, as long as they show their student ID, Patton said.

Brad Miller, director of the Terre Haute Transit Utility, said the added services “are taking transit to a new era.”

ISU students and the public will have extended hours to go to the mall or other shopping areas or to get to and from work.

“This broadens everyone’s ridership,” Miller said. “We’re excited about it. We hope everybody uses it.”

The city bus service should benefit from increased ridership, which in turn would mean increased state funding, Miller said.

The ISU Campus Shuttle Route runs through campus from 6:15 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. It starts and ends at the Transfer Center, at Fifth Street and Wabash Avenue, where it leaves every half hour — at 15 minutes and 45 minutes after the hour.

Right now, there are no designated bus stops for the campus shuttle, Miller said.

“Drivers are looking for [students] everywhere,” he said — at street corners, in front of buildings or at a parking lot.

“We don’t know where they will congregate,” Miller said. Once that’s better known, the bus service will have designated stops on the shuttle route, he said.

“On a nice day, we probably won’t pick up anyone,” Miller said. “When we have bad weather, that’s a horse of a different color.”

The three modified, extended city bus routes will run from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

The modified routes go north to Plaza North; south on Seventh Street to Honey Creek Mall, Wal-Mart and other stores; and an east Wabash Avenue route that goes through downtown.

The system used to run 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week. Now it runs on Saturday, and as of this week, three routes have the extended evening hours.

ISU student Lofton probably won’t need the shuttle, because his residence hall is close to his classes. Those who have a greater distance to walk will more likely use the shuttle, he said.

He’s happy about the extended evening service, particularly since his classes don’t end until about 3 p.m. When the routes ended by 6, it didn’t give him much time to go anywhere.

While ridership was a little slow on the first day of the new campus shuttle and extended service, Lofton believes students will take advantage of it. “It’s definitely convenient for those of us who don’t have cars,” he said. For those who have cars, “It’s going to save gas.”

ISU freshman Matt Folz, who lives on campus and has a car, said he’d probably use the new service, “but they haven’t told us much about it.”

Folz expects to use the bus service to get to his job downtown and to his fraternity. He knows he’s helped pay for it through student fees, so “I might as well get my money out of it.”

ISU freshman Haley McLean expects to use the modified evening routes to go shopping.

Freshman Codi Glenn didn’t know about the new bus service and didn’t expect to use it because she has a car. She expects students who don’t have a car will use it.

A.J. Patton, SGA president, said there will be marketing to make students aware of the new service, and pamphlets outlining the new bus service will be available soon.

For more information, call the city bus office at (812) 235-0109.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.

Campus shuttle route:

• The route runs from 6:15 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. It leaves the Transfer Center at Fifth Street and Wabash Avenue, at 15 minutes and 45 minutes after the hour.

Leaves Transfer Center.

Travels north on Fifth Street to Spruce Street.

Turns right on Spruce to Sixth Street.

Turns left on Sixth to Tippecanoe Street.

Turns right on Tippecanoe to Eighth Street.

Turns right on Eighth to Eagle Street.

Turns left on Eagle to Parking Lot C.

Continues through lot C to Chestnut Street.

Turns left on Chestnut to Seventh Street.

Turns left on Seventh to Cherry Street.

Turns right on Cherry to Sixth Street.

Turns right on Sixth to Burford/Erickson Hall.

Turns left into Burford/Erickson Hall turnaround.

Turns right from Burford/Erickson Hall to Sixth Street.

Proceeds south on Sixth to Wabash Avenue.

Turns right on Wabash to Transfer Center.

• The Campus Shuttle and other city bus routes are free for ISU students, staff and faculty as long as they show a university ID card.