Last Wednesday’s busing referendum, to determine if students would approve a fee increase to support summer Huskie Bus service, was accepted by NIU students in an overwhelming majority.

A low student turnout, 297 or four percent of the student population, voted. Students voting in favor of the increase numbered 266, 27 against and four votes were determined invalid.

The fee increase would be an additional 45 cents per credit hour.

A five to ten percent student turnout would have been more favorable for the referendum but the SA did not expect any more than five, said one SA member. Four percent was close enough to the expected turnout to satisfy the SA, she said.

The referendum was held in response to a survey run by the Mass Transit Board in the spring. The favorable results of the survey led to the next step in the process, the referendum.

Todd Allen, SA Mass Transit Adviser, is now preparing for that next step which will be to go before the NIU Mass Transit Board with the proposal. “It’s all in the hands of the (mass transit) board,” Allen said.

Allen is a non-voting adviser to the board.

If the board approves the proposal, bus service might begin by the summer of 1991. Another part of the proposal is to get the city of DeKalb to run the bus service during the weeks of the summer when classes are not in session.

“So far the city hasn’t said anything in support or opposition of the plan.” Allen said. “Dave Pack (1989 Mass Transit Board chairman) already outlined the plan for the DeKalb City Council but it hasn’t been officially proposed to them.”

“The city has had no big objections to the plan,” said SA Vice President Tanya Smith.

DeKalb 6th Ward Alderman Jamie Pennington said, “It’s important for DeKalb residents to have a steady, reliable bus service. The service probably won’t pay for itself (as far as the city is concerned) but the idea behind mass transit is to provide transportation not revenues for the city.”