Chapel Hill is far more than a stone's throw away from Durham, as many Duke students are frustratingly aware. Yet, with the recently expanded weekend service of the Robertson express bus, the two communities will have the opportunity to experience cultural and social events on each other's campuses late into the night.
Administrators of the Robertson Scholars Program have extended the hours in which buses will run between Duke and UNC to 11:30 p.m. Saturdays.
Although this represents a six-hour increase in service, some students feel it is not enough. "There's still no bus to take you back at say, three in the morning," said Melissa Cohen, a junior. She added that she might use the bus if it offered later service.
Other students mentioned the possible benefits buses would provide to students who decided to drink, particularly if it extended later.
Marjorie Strickland, the Assistant Director for External Relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explained that the Robertson Scholars Program, which oversees the buses, used a yearly ridership survey as the basis for making the change in service. The survey documents how often the buses are used, and for what purposes. "One overwhelming comment we got was that [riders] wanted expansion on Saturday night," Strickland said.
Eric Mlyn, Director of the Robertson Scholars Program, explained that the survey, which runs for two weeks each spring, was supplemented by comments from Robertson Scholars and faculty. All three sources expressed a request for expanding weekend service.
Judith Ruderman, the Vice Provost for Academic and Administrative Services said the decision had been made last spring, with the actual expansion of service implemented during the first week of the fall semester.
"Bus ridership has been growing and as a mark of it, and to further encourage it, we have extended the hours," Ruderman said.
Mlyn also voiced concern over the misconception some students may have about the Robertson bus service. "This bus is not just for Robertson Scholars, but for members of the Duke and UNC community," Mlyn said. He added that to help show that the buses were for everyone on campus, the bus decals no longer say "Robertson Scholars bus," but "Robertson express bus."
Sebastian Lukasik, a second year grad student in history who rides the Robertson bus during the week, said he was surprised service had been extended on Saturday nights and did not see his schedule being affected much.
"I normally take the [Durham Area Transit Authority] buses if I'm going to UNC on the weekend," Lukasik said. He added, however, that the additional service would serve both campuses very well, especially for those who do not have cars.
Strickland suspects it will take some time for people to catch on, but remains optimistic about the additional service. "We might not see the ridership we're expecting, but the more the word gets out, hopefully the more ridership will go up," she said.
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