Penn Transit service to change this fall

The wheels on the busses of Penn Transit vehicles will continue to go 'round and 'round this fall -- but with a few changes to adapt to a decline in ridership in recent years -- University officials announced this week.

"The campus is a fundamentally different place than it was several years ago when many of these services were implemented," said Vice President for Business Services Lee Nunery in a written statement. "While people still value Penn transit, these changes bear out in the number of riders and the services they need."

Starting next semester, Penn Bus and Penn Shuttle services will end at 1:00 a.m., rather than 3:00 a.m., in response to a decline in ridership after 1:00 a.m. Instead, students will be able to call 898-RIDE for dispatch service from transit stops. The Department of Public Safety will continue its dispatch service after 3:00 a.m.

Additionally, service to Center City will be scaled back to Penn Bus service only, which only operates on weekdays. The Penn Bus system operates two routes: Penn Bus East and Penn Bus West, which follow set routes during the evening hours, bringing passengers as far as 20th and Locust streets and 48th and Spruce streets, respectively.

Not all changes will involve cut backs in service -- a new stop at 38th Street and Locust Walk will be added to Penn Bus East's route during peak hours, as well two stops at 40th and Walnut streets and 39th and Spruce streets.

The changes were formed based on the recommendations of an advisory committee formed to study potential changes to the Penn Transit system. The committee, comprised of faculty, staff and students, began meeting in April.

"What we're working towards is... improving it to be economically efficient, but also providing a service that benefits everybody," College junior and committee member Jenn Choi said. "From the undergraduate perspective, I think we have a lot to gain by being more aware of [Penn Transit] and by using it more...."

The changes will be put into place to adapt to the needs and uses of the University community, according to officials.

Ridership on busses and shuttles has dropped in the past years -- down from an all-time high of 432,005 riders in fiscal year 1997 to only 348,600 riders in fiscal year 2003.

Officials attribute this decline in part to successful safety measures put into place on campus, making students and faculty feel more secure walking around.

"The inception for Penn Transit was as a safety service," Transportation Manager Ron Ward said. "I think we've gotten a little bit away from that and we've become a convenience service for a lot of students."

It is hoped these changes will help adapt Penn Transit to the shifting needs of the University community.

"One of the important issues for Penn Transit is as a safety service, but... if our mission were exclusively safety, I think we'd be a branch of Public Safety," Business Services spokeswoman Amy Johnson said. "We want to provide a service that people want and is useful for them."

Other changes to the Penn Transit system include six new busses that have been added to the fleet, and new, more visible ID numbers on busses and vans to allow riders to better identify the vehicle they are riding -- and to more clearly offer tips and suggestions to Penn Transits' idea hotline.

The changes will be put into place as a pilot system, officials said, and its effectiveness will be evaluated by future meetings of the advisory committee.

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