With the creation of a new C-5 bus route, the convenience enjoyed by freshmen traveling to nearby Ninth Street and Brightleaf Square is now a reality for upperclassmen as well.
The University-sponsored bus service runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. between the West Campus and Anderson Street bus stops to several social scenes off East Campus.
After the new C-5 bus route enjoyed a successful pilot run during the first half of the spring semester, the administration agreed to take on the service as a permanent offering to students, said senior David Snider, Duke Student Government vice president for campus services.
"All of the bus drivers did tally counts, and overall the usage has exceeded my expectations," said Snider, who proposed the new service to the administration earlier this year.
Snider added that DSG sponsored the bus ride for the first few weeks to get the project off the ground and, with the help of the Office of Student Affairs, Campus Council and the administration, was able to extend the pilot until Spring Break.
"Usage went up and down based on how much the ride was publicized," said DSG President Elliott Wolf, a junior.
Wolf said there was some confusion among students about how long the service would last, to which lower participation on certain weekends could be attributed, but he added that overall use was still very high.
"Now that it is permanent, I think that students will be even more aware of it," Wolf said.
Snider said that an average nightly use of more than 100 students during the trial period was enough to garner support from administrators.
"I sent the results to the Office of the President, and they decided to continue it for the rest of the semester," Snider said.
He added that the pilot program received substantial positive feedback from students.
"Not only did friends of mine who used the bus and loved it talk to me, but I got a lot of random e-mails from people who said they loved it as well," he said.
Snider said students commended the program for creating additional social options on the weekends.
He added that many students said the new service had become a vital part of their average social outings.
Junior Max Entman said the service confronts important issues of safety for students and the problem of designating a sober driver on nights out.
"It is absolutely a convenience, and it is a very good effort by the administration to minimize drunk driving," he said. "I guarantee it will likely prevent a potential future drunk-driving accident because it facilitates responsible enjoyment of alcohol."
Entman said he has taken the bus at least once a week since the pilot program began, adding that the service has helped the Thursday night social scene at off-campus venues like Satisfaction Restaurant and Bar.
Snider said the success of the project was made possible by DSG's careful use of its own money and its ability to convince the administration that the service was important for students.
"I think that this is a really good example of DSG trying things this year that haven't been done in the past," he said.
Wolf said that he is glad the University has chosen to support the new service, despite its financial cost.
"Projects like the C-5 route are a great way to get students out into the community," Wolf said.
He added that services that are restricted by costs, like parking and transportation, are harder to implement regardless of their benefit to students.
"We hope the administration will continue to support student projects that will enhance students' social lives and involvement with the community," Wolf said.
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