University Times

In response to comments and suggestions by riders, several routes and schedules of the campus bus and shuttle system have been changed by the Department of Parking and Transportation. Following are new services for the fall:

* Northeast shuttle: This new route was added to include the new Pittsburgh Filmmakers facility on Melwood Street, the Office of Human Resources in Craig Hall, and the University Child Development Center on Clyde Street.

* Nightrider routes: To improve safety, most routes have expanded night service to include more pick-up and drop-off locations. Check schedules for specific times.

* Pitt Zone: The Pitt/Port Authority Transit (PAT) demonstration project to Shadyside and Squirrel Hill is continuing this semester. Inbound on Fifth Avenue, the last stop is Children's Hospital. Outbound, the first boarding stops are Bouquet Street at Forbes Avenue and Oakland Avenue at Fifth Avenue.

* Shadyside and Squirrel Hill loops: PAT buses 64U and 74U have been added to the Shadyside and Squirrel Hill routes. They will run Mondays through Fridays during the morning and afternoon rush hours, as well as in the evenings.

"They make loops much similar to our service last year," said Director of Parking and Transportation Bob Harkins. "The trouble is that the ridership is very low. If we don't need them, I will pull them to save the expense. We will wait a while to make that call." Harkins said he welcomes comments on the 64U and 74U loops, as well as the Pitt/PAT demonstration project as a whole.

Schedules for the campus bus and shuttle system are available campus-wide, including the William Pitt Union, the Parking office at 1D10 Forbes Quad, and the Department of Parking and Transportation office at Forbes Pavilion, 3525 Forbes Ave.

Schedules also are being placed on the PittInfo computer network and are expected to be available shortly.

To ride on the Pitt/PAT bus and shuttle system, students, faculty and staff must show a valid University identification card. Members of the University community are allowed to take two guests on Pitt shuttle routes free of charge. Guests must pay the regular fare on PAT routes to Shadyside and Squirrel Hill.

Information on parking and transportation at the University is available by calling 624-8612 or can be obtained via e-mail, TRANSSYS+@pitt.edu.

–Mike Sajna