Committee members discussed transportation plans to expand DeKalb’s Green Line bus route and possibly combine the line with NIU’s Huskie Line in the future.

The DeKalb-Sycamore Area Transportation Study Technical Advisory Committee discussed the long-term transportation plan at Monday’s meeting.

The Green Line bus service currently has stops in the DeKalb area and, under the proposed plan, would extend its service to those in the Sycamore community by 2008.

The bus service is operated by the TransVAC Transportation service, which created the new transportation plan. Although bus fare will not be increased from its 50-cent fare, the cost for TransVAC to operate the buses will increase by $300,000. TransVAC plans to cover the increase with grants.

The plan includes the extension of the evening hours for the Green Line by 2006 and increasing the days of operation to not only weekdays, but also on Saturdays by 2007. The line runs from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exact time extensions have not yet been decided.

The Huskie Line also operates in DeKalb.

“Huskie Bus is not a part of the Public Transit Operator,” said Kevin Mischler of RLS Associates.

At any time, the Student Association could change its mind and only allow students on Bus 7, said Ray Keller, city planner. He said the city wants to work with the SA.

The Green Line bus service is open to the public for 50 cents per ride. Bus 7 is free to all students and open to the surrounding community for 50 cents.

Under the proposed plan, the Green Line would be discontinued and the Huskie Line’s Bus 7 will take over. This would include the possibilities of an extension to Sycamore, increased evening service and operating times on Saturday, Mischler said.

The committee also briefly discussed new bus shelters.

“The shelters right now do not match the needs of the community,” city Transportation Planner Laurie Hoogeveen said. “We get repeated requests from the city for additional shelters and if we do expand the Green Line into Sycamore, then we would hopefully put shelters up in Sycamore also – but for now, the 22 shelters are in DeKalb.”