Although the NIU Late Night Ride Service is beneficial to the students who are in need of a safe ride home, the Student Association Mass Transit Board has not proven a demand to expand the service throughout the week for the fall semester.

David Pack, transit board adviser, said ridership for the late night service has averaged about 75 riders per weekend—the weekend being Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights—with a 20 percent increase as the weather gets colder.

It is good to know that there are some using this service, but increasing the service would mean increasing its budget. Thus far, the board has not adequately proven student support.

Eighty percent of people who returned a survey to the board supported an increase in student fees that would allow the continued operations of the Huskie Bus system, the Late Night Ride Service and the adapted transportation system for disabled students. The problem is, only 170 surveys were returned, 40 of which by SA senators.

Although Pack claims the lack of student interest in the survey indicates that there are no major problems with the system, it does not indicate that the majority of students support fee increases to expand the late night service.

Keeping people safe is an important campus goal, but the service should keep their focus on weekends until the transit board has adequate statistics to show the fee-paying students want increased late night services.