Three UF East/West campus circulator buses will now run from 5:40 p.m. until 12:05 a.m. starting tonight, in an effort to increase campus safety precautions and minimize bus wait times, according to UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes.
The 126 route originally ran two buses throughout the day and one after 5:40 p.m., but Sikes said UF Business Affairs and Regional Transit System worked together to extend the routes’ original buses and add another bus in the afternoon.
Keeping three 126 buses in service after 5:40 p.m. will cost UF Business Affairs about $25,000, Sikes said. The investment follows a string of three separate assaults plaguing campus since Aug. 30.
“We hope these new hours will help our students, faculty, staff and our UF Health employee partners with getting to and from their classes and jobs safely at night,” she said.
The 126 wait time will now be about 12 minutes, Sikes said. The wait time with one bus was about 45 minutes.
RTS spokesman Chip Skinner said federal regulations require RTS to keep an extra 10 percent of buses on its fleet as backup, which is where the new 126 bus will come from.
“It’s a great partnership between the two of us to improve transportation services to students, faculty, staff and retirees,” Skinner said.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 9/17/2014 under the headline "Buses added to night route"]
