DeKALB — University and city transportation integrated bus lines, affecting several routes and public transit fees.

The Huskie Bus Line and the city of DeKalb’s TransVAC combined efforts on Aug. 20. A public hearing was held during the July 23 DeKalb City Council meeting, prior to a public comment period from June 1 to July 16 and five open houses geared toward resident feedback, according to a July 30 Northern Star article.

NIU staff, DeKalb transportation staff, Transdev staff, The DeKalb Sycamore Area Transport Study [DSATS] and Voluntary Action Center [VAC] have been working toward making changes to bus routes to increase efficiency and timeliness for residents and students, according to a July 18 city of DeKalb notice.

“The idea of consolidating those two bus lines is not new, but it came forward again as a result as the transit development plan that was developed by DSATS and their consultant,” Public Works Director Tim Holderman said during a July 23 City Council meeting.

Holderman said the Transit Development Plan is a requirement for the city as a grant recipient and spans from 2017 to 2022. He said the process used to develop the plan involved key stakeholders and a survey to identify the needs of the community in terms of transit.

Marcus Cox, Huskie Bus Line general manager, said integrating bus efforts has been a conversation for numerous years but has not seen follow-through until the summer of 2015. He said discussions included the city, university, students and citizens.

“We’re trying to work together as a team to make this beneficial for students and citizens,” Cox said.

Cox said a big reason for integrating the transit systems is to close the disconnect between the bus systems. He also said with the collaboration, he hopes students will recognize accommodating bus routes offered through TransVAC.

Sabrina Kuykendall, transit branch administrator for the city of DeKalb, said from the city’s side, different busses previously had different fares, and the changes aim to simplify the service. She said students can ride for free with their OneCard, just like the Huskie Bus Line.

“Let’s say you decide to go on the bus and you don’t have your OneCard. You would have to pay the 50 cent fare,” Kuykendall said.

Cox said students will probably notice new routes 16 and 17, previously routes six and seven. He said route 16 is more often utilized by students south of Lincoln Highway.

“[Route] 11 is one that runs only on the weekends and [students will] also be able to access the TransVAC routes 18 and 21,” Cox said. “I believe those are the two routes that students can still access for free with their OneCard.”

Kuykendall said officials wanted to simplify the system and increase services for residents and students. She said changes have created a consolidated system for routes 16, 17 and 18.

Kuykendall also said individuals looking to access a physical copy of the new bus routes can find them at City Hall, the DeKalb County Health Department, the DeKalb Police Department, Sycamore and DeKalb libraries, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and any social service agencies in the area. Bus route changes can also be found on the City of DeKalb website.

“During the first few days of implementation we are planning to have bus navigators, system navigators [and] people on the buses that will help people navigate this change,” Holderman said during a July 23 City Council meeting.