D-bus route changes for spring semester

The recovery point  for campus buses on the D route was changed effective Jan. 12 from Forest to Willkie.

According to Operations Manager of IU Campus Bus Service Perry Maull, the recovery points on the bus routes are needed to stay on schedule and to allow the driver to get off the bus to use the restroom or take a break.

Forest was not the “ideal location” for a recovery point, Maull said.  

“Forest is also a bus stop for Bloomington Transit buses, so having a campus bus parked at the stop was interfering with Bloomington Transit,” Maull said. “Also, there are bicycle lanes on Third Street where the bus stop is located. We don’t want to park a bus in a bicycle lane.”

Maull said the recovery point was originally on Rose Avenue, across the street from the Willkie center building. During the past few years the area was not available because of the construction of Rose Avenue Residence Center, so it was moved to Forest.

Students who regularly take the D route have differing views on the change.

“Sometimes there is another D bus available to take people, but sometimes we have to just sit and wait,” freshman Logan Sanchez said. “It’s frustrating.”

Freshman Anna Cooper said she doesn’t mind the new recovery point.

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Cooper said. “You can just walk across the street to get on another bus.”

Maull said he invites feedback from students about their opinion of the change.

Follow reporter Sara Boyle on Twitter @BOYLEr_alert.