Next fall semester will be a great time to ride the bus.

Imagine knowing precisely when the next bus will be at a certain stop - you may never have to wait for a bus again. For the past two years, Engineering prof. Chris Ruf has led a directed study class that will change the way you get from point A to B. The Magic Bus Project, funded by the University's transportation service, uses a GPS tracking system to track busses and will soon be deployed in Ann Arbor, much to the delight of students traveling across campus, along with transportation officials studying data related to traffic flow and engine diagnostics.

With its precise tracking capabilities, the Magic Bus system will be able to determine the locations of buses and the estimated time of arrival at each of the bus stops around campus. It will also provide engine diagnostic data to help troubleshoot mechanical problems, instantly defraying the downtime that would otherwise accompany repairs. For students, this will mean a drastic improvement in the convenience of riding a University bus.

A webpage that displays all buses running at a given time will be available at locations inside the Union and Pierpont Commons. Text messages can also be sent to find out the exact time the next bus will arrive at a particular stop. For transportation officials, the ability to track busses and record data could mean increased safety for passengers and a way to optimize routes for efficiency.

The project was born from a desire to learn how students can best utilize learning spaces at the University. For the past two years, the senior design experience classes, a requirement for graduation from the College of Engineering, have worked to design and implement Magic Bus.

By integrating a learning experience for engineering students with an improvement the campus community needs, Ruf embodies part of what the University stands for: an eye for improvement and finding innovative ways to bring it about by using its greatest resource - students. The shift away from textbook-based knowledge into a practical, result-oriented sphere helps students bridge the often-abstract education they receive at the University - a considerable advantage as they move on to the real world.

The University should continue to look for such integrative opportunities. While the Magic Bus Project represents a success story in the administration listening to students, more active efforts should be made to address concerns from the community. While the ideal of a university fully accountable to student feedback may be a distant reality, the small steps taken by Ruf and the Magic Bus team are certainly a thrust in the right direction.

Li is a class of 2006 alum of the College of Engineering. He was a former team leader for the electrical subsystem on the Magic Bus project.