Spring Break
Buses begin to fill up as winter looms
Gas prices, job responsibilities result in a 24.5 percent increase of student riders
Lindsey Lewandowski
Issue date: 10/20/05 Section: Campus News
On a 67-degree Monday afternoon, sophomores Diana Hang and Kyle Brandner could be found sitting by the curb beside the bus stop outside the Campus School building.
Both said they take the bus about once a week and will use it more once it starts to snow.
This is typically the trend officials at the Eau Claire Transit System observe. However, according to an Oct. 10 ECT news release, 24.5 percent more university students are utilizing the system than last year at this time. That's two months before there typically is an increase in riders, said Gwen Van Den Heuvel, ECT's transit manager.
"That's what's so phenomenal about what's going on," she said. "It's not even cold yet."
She attributed the increase to "a lot of things," among them gas prices, which, as of Tuesday morning were between $2.59 and $2.70 in Eau Claire, according to the American Automobile Association.
"To be honest," she said, "some of that might be because kids are choosing not to drive because of fuel prices."
When President George W. Bush asked Americans to cut back on car trips to conserve energy on Monday, Sept. 19, junior Megan Reinhart's family listened, and it's the reason she thinks twice about driving.
Reinhart lives in White Bear Lake, Minn., which is a little more than 90 miles away from Eau Claire. When she drove home at the end of September, her parents told her maybe she shouldn't come as often because gas prices were so high.
"They just said that Bush said not to make unnecessary trips, so I should come home not as often," she said.
But the gas prices don't always affect how much Reinhart drives. While her job is within walking distance - she works for Home Instead Senior Care - a job which requires she do chores, visit with and run errands for a cognitively-disabled client.
"I have to drive my client around," she said of why it's essential she uses her to car to drive to work.
Brandner said he only uses his vehicle three times a week - to go home to Medford or to drive to Lower Campus - and the price of gas doesn't affect how often he gets behind the wheel.
"It's not going to stop me from going somewhere," he said, adding he rides the bus because it's convenient. Reinhart said like Hang and Brandner, she'll most likely begin taking the bus when temperature drops.
Van Den Heuvel said she hopes ECT can keep up once the cold weather hits.
"We don't get this busy, usually, until the (winter)," she said.
As of Oct. 3, a bus has traveled university routes in the mornings. Beginning the first Monday in November, there will be a third bus -- or a "tripper" - traveling university routes until 4:30 p.m, she said.
Van Den Heuvel said if ECT continues to see such increases, a fourth bus may be necessary.
"I think there's a good chance it could happen," she said.
Van Den Heuvel said, though, the increase in ridership is positive.
"It's nice to run full buses," she said. "It makes it worthwhile for us and for the university, so it's a positive thing.
"I've been saying, 'Yeah, we're having some difficulties right now because we're so busy,' but those are good bus problems to have."
- Knight Ridder News Service contributed to this article.
Both said they take the bus about once a week and will use it more once it starts to snow.
| "We don't get this busy, usually, until the (winter)." -Gwen Van Den Heuvel ETC's Transit Manager |
This is typically the trend officials at the Eau Claire Transit System observe. However, according to an Oct. 10 ECT news release, 24.5 percent more university students are utilizing the system than last year at this time. That's two months before there typically is an increase in riders, said Gwen Van Den Heuvel, ECT's transit manager.
"That's what's so phenomenal about what's going on," she said. "It's not even cold yet."
She attributed the increase to "a lot of things," among them gas prices, which, as of Tuesday morning were between $2.59 and $2.70 in Eau Claire, according to the American Automobile Association.
"To be honest," she said, "some of that might be because kids are choosing not to drive because of fuel prices."
When President George W. Bush asked Americans to cut back on car trips to conserve energy on Monday, Sept. 19, junior Megan Reinhart's family listened, and it's the reason she thinks twice about driving.
Reinhart lives in White Bear Lake, Minn., which is a little more than 90 miles away from Eau Claire. When she drove home at the end of September, her parents told her maybe she shouldn't come as often because gas prices were so high.
"They just said that Bush said not to make unnecessary trips, so I should come home not as often," she said.
But the gas prices don't always affect how much Reinhart drives. While her job is within walking distance - she works for Home Instead Senior Care - a job which requires she do chores, visit with and run errands for a cognitively-disabled client.
"I have to drive my client around," she said of why it's essential she uses her to car to drive to work.
Brandner said he only uses his vehicle three times a week - to go home to Medford or to drive to Lower Campus - and the price of gas doesn't affect how often he gets behind the wheel.
"It's not going to stop me from going somewhere," he said, adding he rides the bus because it's convenient. Reinhart said like Hang and Brandner, she'll most likely begin taking the bus when temperature drops.
Van Den Heuvel said she hopes ECT can keep up once the cold weather hits.
"We don't get this busy, usually, until the (winter)," she said.
As of Oct. 3, a bus has traveled university routes in the mornings. Beginning the first Monday in November, there will be a third bus -- or a "tripper" - traveling university routes until 4:30 p.m, she said.
Van Den Heuvel said if ECT continues to see such increases, a fourth bus may be necessary.
"I think there's a good chance it could happen," she said.
Van Den Heuvel said, though, the increase in ridership is positive.
"It's nice to run full buses," she said. "It makes it worthwhile for us and for the university, so it's a positive thing.
"I've been saying, 'Yeah, we're having some difficulties right now because we're so busy,' but those are good bus problems to have."
- Knight Ridder News Service contributed to this article.