Campus Bus to cut services for 2008-09

IU’s student transportation fee has not increased enough to maintain transportation services for the 2008-09 school year.

“Fuel exploded from last year,” said Perry Maull, Campus Bus Service operations manager. “There’s no way to accommodate that in a budget that only goes up by 2.8 percent.”

Service on all campus bus routes will be reduced for the 2008-09 school year, with many of the changes occurring in the evenings, on weekends and over academic breaks. In addition, Bloomington Transit has proposed several changes that could take effect Sept. 1, according to a Bloomington Transit news release. The proposed changes to some campus-oriented routes are the result of increased operating costs for Bloomington Transit and limited funding by IU, according to the news release.

Changes might also be made to the Midnight Special, commonly known as the “drunk bus,” when the contract between IU and Bloomington Shuttle Service to provide the Midnight Special ends Dec. 1, Maull said. This contract is about 5 years old and is based on operating costs that have changed, he added.

“Their fuel has gone up like everybody else’s,” Maull said. “I’m sure there’s going to be a huge increase in that cost.”

Currently, running the Midnight Special route costs $156,000 a year, Maull said. The money comes from the student transportation fee, which is the only source of revenue for the Campus Bus Service.

The student transportation fee increased by 2.8 percent for the 2008-09 school year, Maull said. While Maull said he is grateful for the increase, which has allowed bus operators’ wages and medical insurance to increase, it is still not enough to maintain the level of service provided last school year. Maull said as a graduate of IU he understands the importance of the Campus Bus Service for students. But as operations manager, he also understands the importance of having a balanced budget, which has proven to be increasingly difficult.

“This is the worst budget I have ever had to put together in over 30 years of doing these,” Maull said.

IU’s limited budget is one reason for Bloomington Transit’s proposal to cut some campus-oriented services, said Lew May, Bloomington Transit general manager. IU currently pays Bloomington Transit for some services such as improved frequency on routes that serve the campus population. Bloomington Transit needed about $92,000 to maintain current service levels, but IU didn’t have the revenue because of limitations on student fee increases, May said.

“We understand that and sympathize, but at the same time we have to look at ways to reduce costs,” May said.

Students, such as IU junior Courtney Williams, think the cuts in services are reasonable when considering increasing fuel costs. Freshman DaJaun Hamilton said he doesn’t think the changes will affect him too much, and he doesn’t want the student transportation fee to increase either.

“Prices are already steep enough,” Hamilton said.

While changes to Campus Bus Service have already been made, students still have an opportunity to voice their opinions on services provided by Bloomington Transit and the Midnight Special.

The Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 5 in the BPTC conference room, located at 130 W. Grimes Lane, to hear comments from the public on the proposed Sept. 1 service changes, according to a press release. The Midnight Special will be the first thing on the Student Transportation Board’s agenda at their meeting at 8 p.m. Aug. 25 in the Charter Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, Maull said. All students are welcome at Student Transportation Board meetings, Maull said.

If IU and Bloomington Shuttle Service’s current contract is any indication of how long a new contract could last, freshmen will feel the effects of a new agreement for their entire time at IU. Freshman Mica Stafford, who will not have a car on campus, said it’s not fair that freshmen will not have the same services that previous freshmen classes have had. She has an answer for others who are upset by the changes.

“People who need transportation have to be willing to pay for the increased price,” Stafford said.

Proposed Campus Bus Service changes

• Semester Monday-through-Thursday core service on all routes (A, B, D, E, and X) will be reduced by 4 percent Adjustments will be primarily in the late afternoon and evening. All routes will now end at approximately 11 p.m., instead of midnight.
• The U Route will be eliminated. Passengers will be accommodated by the A Route and B Route.
• Friday service hours will be reduced by 16 percent. Adjustments will be primarily in the late afternoon and evening.
• Summer Session I and II service hours have already been reduced by approximately 32 percent.
• Weekend service hours during the fall and spring semesters will be reduced by 61percent. Bus service on campus will be provided from approximately 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and from approximately noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The E Route will provide hourly service to the College Mall on weekends.
• Class break and holiday service hours will be reduced by 73 percent. During class breaks, the E Route will operate from approximately 7:40 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays with hourly service to the College Mall in the afternoons. On weekends during class breaks, the E Route will provide hourly service to the College Mall.
• Overall, Campus Bus Service will be reduced by 19 percent for the coming academic year, compared to the 2007-08 academic year.

• Route 1 S.Walnut/Arbor Glen – The weekday frequency between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. is proposed to be lengthened to every 60 minutes.  As such the outbound trips leaving downtown at 9:40 a.m., 10:40 a.m., 11:40 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. are proposed to be eliminated.  The inbound trips leaving the southern end of the route at 10:05 a.m., 11:05 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 1:05 p.m. are proposed to be eliminated.  In addition, BPTC proposes to straighten the route by eliminating service on route segments as follows: Miller Drive between Henderson and S.Walnut; S.Walnut between Miller Drive and North Drive; and North Drive between S.Walnut and Henderson.  Service into the Walnut Park Shopping Center located at S.Walnut and Country Club Drive is proposed to be eliminated.  BPTC proposes to extend the route to the Kroger shopping center located at S.Walnut and Rhorer Road.  The southern routing is proposed to go south on Henderson to west on Winslow to south on S.Walnut to east on Rhorer to north on Walnut Street Pike and then into the Arbor Glen Apartments.  From there the route would follow the proposed new routing.
• Route 6 Campus Shuttle – Sunday service is proposed to be eliminated year round.  Weeknight service during the Indiana University (IU) spring/fall semesters is proposed to end at 11:30 p.m. at the Knightridge Apartments (currently this service ends at 12:30 a.m.).  During the IU summer break and other break periods, weeknight service is proposed to end at 7:30 p.m. at the Knightridge Apartments (currently this service ends at 9:30 p.m.).
•  Route 8 Eastside Local – The southern end of this route is proposed to be changed by eliminating service on Rogers Road, High Street, and Moore’s Pike.  New service on this route is proposed to operate on Sare Road from Rogers Road to the Jackson Creek Middle School.  The 11:04 a.m. and 2:04 p.m. trips to the Sherwood Oaks area and Arbor Glen are proposed to be eliminated, Monday through Saturday.  No other routing changes are proposed to the remainder of the route.
• C-9 IU Campus/College Mall/Campus Corner – During the IU spring/fall semesters, the Friday frequency is proposed to be lengthened to vary with a bus every 15-30 minutes between 7:25 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.  Friday night frequency is proposed to vary with a bus every 30-45 minutes after 7:00 p.m.   Weeknight service during the IU spring/fall semesters is proposed to end at about 10:45 p.m. at Campus Corner (currently service ends at 12:05 a.m.).  During the IU summer break and other break periods, weeknight service is proposed to end at 10:30 p.m. at Campus Corner (currently service ends at 11:10 p.m.).   During the IU summer break and other break periods, Saturday and Sunday service is proposed to end at 10:30 p.m. at Campus Corner (currently service ends at 11:10 p.m.).