---

Inside Iowa State
Feb. 21, 1997

Orange route limits eyed

by Anne Dolan
Free boarding of the Orange route shuttle at the Iowa State Center lot, Maple-Willow-Larch and the Lied Center would be limited to certain passengers under a recommendation sent to vice president for business and finance Warren Madden. ISU's Transportation Advisory Council has recommended a 25-cent fee next year for people getting on the bus at these locations.

However, the council also recommended that the fee be waived for people who have any valid Cy-Ride pass; an ISU parking tag issued for general or reserve staff lots, vendors or commuter student lots; or a valid Orange route pass issued by ISU Parking Division.

Under the council's recommendation, orange route passes would be available free to anyone who qualifies for a tag in general or reserve staff, vendor or commuter student parking lots, but opts to park off-campus at the Iowa State Center. Others, primarily students who live off campus in Ames, could purchase a semester Orange route pass for $20 from the Parking Division.

Leaders of the Government of the Student Body have been working on a proposal to keep the Orange route free for all students.

Jim Gaunt, chairman of the Transportation Advisory Council, said the recommendation is intended to help Cy-Ride counter revenue losses in the last year caused by a drop in ridership on the Red, Blue and Green routes.

"We want to encourage (Ames) residents to use their neighborhood Cy-Ride routes," he said. "We're not saying, 'Don't use the Orange route,' but if you are using the system, we think you should pay for it."

He said the council also recognizes that some resident students need access to their cars during the day, to get to jobs or pick up children from day care locations.

"Our intent is not to prohibit use of the Orange route. We tried to put some incentives there to encourage regular bus use," Gaunt said.

Gaunt noted that the original intent of the Orange shuttle route was to relieve pressure on campus lots - and that has worked - but to the detriment of several other Cy-Ride routes.

Iowa State homepage

Inside Iowa State, inside@iastate.edu, University Relations
Copyright © 1997, Iowa State University, all rights reserved
URL: http://www.iastate.edu/general/Inside/1997/0221/bus.html
Revised 2/19/97