Frequent University bus riders will soon find a new convenience waiting for them at bus stops. The University plans to install signs containing schedules and maps for the particular routes that go through each bus stop.
- Paul Wong
- Michigan Student Assembly President Matt Nolan and Vice President Jessica Cash asked the University to provide maps and schedules at bus stops across campus<br><br>ALEX HOWBERT/Daily
Parking and Transportation Services Director Pat Cunningham said the University used to hand out 30,000 bus route maps to students every year but that most of them ended up as litter.
Although the department no longer prints out maps and schedules, the new signs encourage students to visit the department”s website at www.parking.umich.edu, where they can print out their own maps.
Each stop”s map will be different since it will indicate to riders where on the route they currently are.
“It has been done at other places but having each map done individually for each stop where it”s at is fairly unique,” Cunningham said.
“I think that”s good for freshman and for people that haven”t gotten used to the scheduling,” said Engineering sophomore Erica Schmidt, who rides the bus between Central and North campuses frequently. “But once you”ve got the schedule down you know when to catch the bus.”
University Facilities and Operations spokeswoman Diane Brown said a map of all routes at each stop was not feasible.
“The map (of all routes) is pretty large and would have a lot of difficulty not being unwieldy at bus stops,” she said. “There”s always been something out on the Web. It”s just another step to them posted at bus stops.”
The proposal to install signs at bus stops originated in the Michigan Student Assembly and was an issue discussed during the campaign for the MSA presidency this spring.
The assembly had lobbied the University administration for the maps and schedules.
MSA President Matt Nolan said he is happy that the University is finally going through with the plan. “It”s nice to see we can have a good working relationship with the University,” he said.