IU bus service to run past midnight starting Monday

The IU Campus Bus Service announced Wednesday that the A, B and E routes will extend past midnight starting Monday.

IU Student Association President Luke Fields said he initiated the extension for safety reasons, especially in light of the Sept. 6 attacks on 17th Street and Woodlawn Avenue.

“It dawned on me that those people had been out walking,” Fields said. “My thought was, ‘Might this have been a different situation had there been bus coverage still?’ It was just a concern to me.”

The new bus routes will run from 10:40 p.m. to 12:34 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

Perry Maull, operations manager for the IU bus service, said the change, which was approved Monday, was a necessary one.

“This adds four more round trips,” Maull said. “This will allow people to be on campus and get back to their residences on campus until after midnight.

“When we went through the cuts this summer, it was in response to fuel prices going through the ceiling. We’re doing good right now. We’re able to afford to put the buses out there, and this was identified to us as something the students wanted, so we’re going to provide that service.”

The plan will cost a total of $5,000 for this semester and about $11,000 for the rest of the year, he said.

“We’re not talking a huge amount of money here,” Maull said.

Similar changes might be coming in the future for other IU campus bus routes, as well.

“I’ve been requested to find out from our bus drivers and looking at passenger counts where other extensions or increases in service might be able to be done,” Maull said. “The student transportation board will be looking for other opportunities. I’m going to take that back in November for implementation in the spring semester.”

Students said they felt the change was a step in the right direction.

“I guess it’s good,” said sophomore Patrick Fleming, “because the students who are staying at the library later have a ride back.”

“I think it’s be a good thing,” added freshman Justin Michael Keith. “There’s more people out later at night, and it’s safer transportation back.”

For additional information, visit the IU campus bus Web site at www.iubus.indiana.edu, or call 855-8961.