- Target:
- MatBus/NDSU
- Region:
- United States of America
Many students use the U-pass Program provided by MATBUS. The U-Pass Program offers unlimited free rides to both students and faculty from North Dakota State University (NDSU), Minnesota State University - Moorhead (MSUM), Concordia College, and Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M | State).
This service is used by students who live off and on campus. Students living off campus are able to use public transportation as opposed to using their own vehicle. The service also allows for quick transportation from one end of campus to the other or to the downtown portion of the NDSU campus. The major advantage of the U-Pass Program is most noted during the winter months. Wind chills regularly reach sub-zero temperatures making it impractical to walk. This becomes not an issue of comfort, but one of safety.
According to the 2013 MATBUS Annual Report, from the school years 2011-2012 to 2012-2013, the number of NDSU riders has increased over 40,000. With this increase of numbers, the buses of Route 32 become full, not allowing everyone to board. This leaves the option to either walk to their destination or wait for the next bus. Both result in the same outcome, students and members of the faculty to be late.
Route 32 is part of the NDSU/MATBUS U-Pass Program. It services two main locations, University Village (northeast of campus) and several apartment complexes (south of campus). Between each of the main locations, Route 32 travels the entire length of campus. This makes it efficient by stopping at several centralized locations.
Route 32 has two sections of the day. The first section has two buses running on it from 7:25 AM until 10:51 AM, resulting in a 15 minute interval at each stop. The second section is from 10:51 AM until 6:21 PM and only has one bus running, resulting in a 30 minute interval at each stop.
MATBUS has opted to put two new hybrid buses into service on Route 33. This is the primary route that shuttles students to and from the downtown part of campus and has had overcrowding problems in the past. These eco-friendly are able to carry more passengers than the older, conventional buses and have helped to alleviate the overcrowding problem.
We, the undersigned, request that MatBus and North Dakota State University resolve the issue of overcrowding on Route 32. This issue can be fixed with one of three options.
Solution 1: Addition of a third bus during the first section of the day and a second bus during the second section of the day, resulting in a shorter interval between each bus.
Solution 2: Replacement of the older, conventional buses with higher passenger capacity hybrid buses, resulting in a decrease in the number of people that need to walk or wait for the next bus.
Solution 3: Implementation of solution 1 or 2, while simultaneously extending the southern portion of the route an additional block west to 19th Street North. This results in an additional stop while otherwise not changing the route.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Increase MatBus Services to NDSU Students petition to MatBus/NDSU was written by Kelan Goeser and is in the category Education at GoPetition.