The University recently introduced seven new buses to the transit fleet through a collaborative effort between University Parking and Transportation and University Communications.
University Transportation Director Rebecca White described the collaboration as “tremendous” and “key” for the project’s success. As a part of the collaboration, the communications department came up with the design of the buses and took many factors into account including the budget and operational needs.
With the new buses running alongside the old buses, it was important that the two designs looked cohesive. The new buses boast the same blue and white colors as the old buses. However, while the older buses feature a long horizontal orange line across them just below the windows, the new buses have a light and dark blue diagonal line.
“The kind of foundational impression is the same,” White said. “They look good side by side, you can definitely tell they’re different, but I think because they both have top half blue and bottom half white, they sort of reside side by side okay.”
UTS buses have a lifespan of anywhere from 12 to 20 years, and the University aims to replace buses when they are 15 years old. Each new bus cost $403,000 and the bus system is primarily funded by a comprehensive student fee, which is augmented by charter services.
Currently, the new buses are functioning on the normal operational rotation. They can be seen on any of the UTS routes including the Green Route, Stadium / Hospital Shuttle, Northline, Inner and Outer U-Loop, Central Grounds Shuttle and Colonnade Shuttle.
Some students have begun to notice the new buses on the different routes.
“They look nicer, it did catch my attention,” second-year Nursing student Chloe Grinage said. “They look like a darker blue and they have like a design, it looks like an 80’s paint splatter design on them.”
“I was kind of shocked that they looked the exact same on the inside … but the outside is really attractive, appealing, modern, sleek,” second-year Curry student Jalee Banachoski said.
Banachoski, however, also questioned the spending on the buses in comparison to other school needs.
White noted the new buses are part of a routine replacement process.
“The buses just age out after somewhere between 12 and 20 years of age, there's a replacement cycle for replacing those buses,” White said.
According to White, 10 more new buses will arrive in summer 2018.
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