By Benecia Brown
The Blue Loop shuttle bus is back in business from now until Spring Break.
The bus runs every ten minutes from 7:40 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The annual shuttle is sponsored by the Student Government Association.
Kirstin Roussey, a senior speech pathology major, said the Blue Loop makes it easier for students who live off campus and gives them a better chance of making it to class on time.
“I love the shuttle bus because I live really far away, and it takes me 15 minutes to walk to campus, and I usually don’t go to class if I walk,” Roussey said.
Jim Gresa, a bus driver of the Blue Loop, enjoyed his first day on the job.
“I notice that a lot of students live down [in] these areas,” Gresa said. “It is very convenient for students, especially when it gets colder and icy outside.”
On campus, the shuttle stops at the Hargreaves Music Building, Shafer Tower, John R. Emens Auditorium and Studebaker West.
Off campus, the shuttle stops at Neely and Linden, Linden and Wayne, Linden and Riverside and Riverside and New York.
Roussey said riding the Blue Loop also helps her financially.
“I have class three times a day, so by riding the Blue Loop I save a lot on gas and money,” Roussey said. “I also don’t have to go out and scrape the ice off my car every morning.”
Lukas Ramey, a senior social studies education major, said even though he lives on campus the Blue Loop is helpful for students.
“With the snow coming, riding the bus to class makes it easier for me to not have to walk through the snow whenever I have class,” Ramey said.
George Cater, a freshman pre-medicine major, said it was his first day riding the Blue Loop.
“I am trying to ride the bus as much as possible,” Cater said. “The bus makes it easier and more accessible for students who are living on and off campus.”
Students are also able to check the status of their shuttle bus with the help of an application called TransLoc.
The university announced in August that the new application would be available for students.
Duke University, Auburn University and Yale University also utilize the program.
The application is available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry.
