The no-fare bus service, provided through an agreement with the Centre Area Transportation Authority, kicks off Sunday, Aug. 22, and is available to anyone riding the Campus or Town Loops. The loops cover the areas from Beaver to Park avenues and from Porter Road to Atherton Street. The most essential component of this plan is busing. By offering this alternative, we hope to significantly reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles on campus and make it safer for pedestrians. We know it is going to be some time before it catches on.
Habits are hard to break and the untested waters make people a bit reluctant.
But this works in other regions and it can work here. Riders do not need a pass and because an extra 10,000 hours of transit service was added to the two-loop system, the wait for a bus during peak hours will be less than five minutes between buses. In addition, a discounted monthly transit pass will be offered to University employees to use on CATA's regional Centre Line. It also is discounted 28 percent over the normal monthly pass rate. CATA will register participants and each participant will receive a list of individuals who have similar commutes and travel schedules.