Huskie Transit will save more than $150,000 with its changes to the fall 2013 bus route system, said Seth Peritz, Student Association director of mass transit.

Bus route changes have been made for fall 2013 to make the routes more effective and convenient for students, Peritz said.

The changes go through Peritz and the Mass Transit Board. It took about two months to set up the system, Peritz said.

“There has been a lot of changes,” Peritz said. “We have separated the four routes into two separate routes. The west side, which is where the residence halls are located, will have the 2R and 2L [routes], which will not replace the 4R and 4L but will be similar. It will cover Northern View [Apartments] and east of Lincoln Highway.”

Peritz said the 2R and 2L routes will also stop at Lincoln Highway at the east side of Annie Glidden. He said there will be two buses on this route.

On the east side of Annie Glidden, routes will cover the engineering building, the psychology building, Gilbert Hall and Normal Road, Peritz said.

“I think if students give this bus route a chance, they will see that its more effective than before,” Peritz said.

Huskie Transit has had financial issues with the present route, Peritz said.

“The purpose of the change in routes is the reduced cost in effort to stay ahead of any…financial difficulties the university may have in the future,” Peritz said. “We need under $3.9 million, which is a round figure, in order not to have financial issues.”

“In an effort to maintain less expensive bus transit and the most bus effectiveness for students, we had to change the routes,” Peritz said. “….Other areas have to be covered because not all students live on campus. Those routes were to bring ridership and service to areas for the student needs.”

All routes will be the same length except for the five route, Peritz said.

The five route will come up Annie Glidden instead of Normal Road. Peritz said the reason this was done is to shorten the route from 30 minutes to 20 minutes, Peritz said.

Randi Wilder, freshman pre-physical therapy major, said she loves living on campus, but said the wait time to be picked up at her stop is unacceptable.

“I’m glad that the bus route changes are going into action this year because I plan on staying on campus again,” Wilder said.

Zeinabou Tandia, sophomore child development major, said the current bus routes are hectic.

“There will be numerous people standing waiting for a bus to come, and if the bus was too full the bus driver would ride pass,” Tandia said. “So I think new bus route changes would be perfect.”

What’s effective and good for the students is what matters, Peritz said.

“I believe our bus routes will benefit students,” said Joe Frascello, vice chairmen of the mass transit board. “Routes have been designed to get students where they need to be and on time.”

Frascello will be sworn in on Friday as the new director of mass transit.