In light of concerns of overcrowding, an additional bus was added to the C1: East West route yesterday.
Duke Parking and Transportation Services has added another bus for Monday through Thursday to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Joe Gonzalez, assistant vice president of student affairs and dean for residential life, wrote in an email to residents of 300 and 301 Swift. PTS is currently investigating the times at which C1 and Swift Avenue Shuttle use is highest to be able to decide if the additional C1 will resolve the issue of overcrowding, he added.
“After receiving valuable input from Swift residents regarding the bus service for 300/301 Swift, we relayed concerns and Duke Parking and Transportation has worked with us to provide increased service and alleviate overcrowding along the C1 route,” Gonzalez wrote.
There might also be a change to the schedule of the Swift Avenue Shuttle for Spring 2020, as PTS is considering for the bus to run continuously Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and midnight. This would be a change from its current weekday schedule of 8 a.m. to 2:11 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 12:11 a.m.
Many changes to the bus routes have already been enacted this semester. Buses no longer run on the C2: East-Central-West, C4: Central-West and CCX: Central Campus Express routes since the only undergraduates who live on Central Campus are those who live on Swift Avenue.
Beth Campbell, director of communications for Duke Parking and Transportation Services, did not respond to a request for comment for this article.
Since the beginning of the academic year, students have voiced issues with the new bus system, especially on the Fix My Campus Facebook group.
“What’s up with the buses … can we get more?” one user wrote. This prompted many comments concerning transportation.
The main issue that was raised was the overcrowding of the C1 during high volume times, a problem that the addition of a C1 bus is intended to fix.
Another Fix My Campus post addressed problems that have arisen with the C1X: East-West Express, which runs from East to West without making any stops in between the two campuses. One such concern is the C1X is designed to be a faster way for students to travel between East to West Campus, but it has been seen stuck behind the C1 as it makes its stops, negating this purpose.
One user responded to the original post that the problem is the C1X runs more quickly than the C1, shedding doubt on the need for a C1X in the first place.
“Especially with central gone, I still fail to see the need,” the user wrote. “Converting all the C1xs to C1s and running C1s a little more often is the move!”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.