The Robertson Express will operate on a reduced weekend schedule beginning Saturday, a decision made in an effort to be conscious of the bus route’s “environmental impact” after analyzing ridership data that revealed “a significant dip in usage” over the weekend.
The Robertson Express connects Duke’s campus with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to allow Robertson Scholars — and the broader university communities — to easily travel between the two campuses.
The bus will now operate during two three-hour windows on Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 11 a.m. on UNC’s campus and ending at 2 p.m., then later running from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The route previously ran from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays.
The weekday schedule remains unchanged, with service beginning at 7:30 a.m. on both campuses and ending at 10 p.m. on UNC’s campus and 10:30 p.m. on Duke’s campus.
“We feel confident that this new schedule will still provide maximum ease for [Robertson] Scholars and community members riding between both campuses during our heaviest trafficked hours, honoring our commitment to facilitate unique and meaningful collaborations across campuses,” said Jon Cochran, director of operations for the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program.
According to an Aug. 16 statement, RSLP will continue to monitor ridership data throughout the fall semester to “assess the utility and effectiveness” of the new schedule.
Robertson Scholars are enrolled as undergraduate students at Duke and UNC and take classes at both universities. They receive full tuition, room and board for eight semesters, as well as funding for up to three summer experiences and two semesters of study abroad.
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Zoe Kolenovsky is a Trinity junior and news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.