Northwestern shuttles will run on altered routes Friday evening while Sheridan Road is closed for the 2011 Homecoming Parade. The changes come after the University considered modifying routes due to high winds earlier in the week and made changes to accommodate construction starting in the summer.
In an email sent to students Tuesday, University Police said Evanston and Campus Loop buses would start running at 9:25 p.m. and 9:53 p.m. respectively, several hours later than usual. Additionally, Ryan Field and Intercampus Shuttles will run along Sherman Avenue rather than Sheridan, and students will be allowed to flag down buses, University Services Transportation Director Marge Grzeszczuk said.
“Basically, any time we anticipate Sheridan being closed we move to Sherman,” Grzeszczuk said.
The route modifications are just the latest in a series of shuttle changes this year. On Wednesday, strong winds and high waves along the lakefront prompted the University to consider shutting down the Intercampus Shuttle if conditions became unsafe.
“The biggest decision would have been the impact of Lake Shore Drive closing,” Grzeszczuk said. “The Intercampus obviously goes along Lake Shore Drive so if that had closed due to water or blockages we would have made that call.”
Ultimately, only the bike and runners’ path next to Lake Shore Drive flooded from waves according to Chicago Tribune reports, and Grzeszczuk said the route remained in use all day.
However, the University changed shuttle routes and stop times due to construction. Construction projects near the Kellogg School of Management’s Allen Center and in the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary parking lot forced the University to reroute buses and caused occasional difficulties, Grzeszczuk said.
“Because the Garrett lot is about half the size it usually is, we’ve been trapped in there a few times due to traffic,” Grzeszczuk said.
Some students said they have noticed the changes and were dismayed by the new routes. Peter Xu, a graduate student in the Master of Biotechnology Program, said he faced issues when buses were not running at the Norris University Center stop. Buses have since resumed service to Norris.
“The first time I took the Evanston Loop this year, the schedule said it would stop at Norris so I waited there for about 30 minutes,” Xu said. “I ended up running over to a different stop to catch the CTA, so I’m very glad the shuttles can go to Norris now.”
Weinberg junior Anusha Balaji was more blunt in her assessment of the shuttles this year.
“I just feel like they’re never on time … Especially this year because of all the construction I feel like there have been more problems,” Balaji said.
Grzeszczuk said the University has recognized these issues but said she thinks the shuttle system, which includes about ten new buses that were purchased over the summer, is an effective way for students to travel.
“Our project managers have been working with us to make sure our buses are going through Campus Drive and around campus,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot of positive comments about the new buses. As with any shuttle system, people will complain that there’s not enough during peak riding time, but I know that people are using the shuttles more because our rider numbers are still going up.”
