Residence hall inhabitants not anxious for winter wind may have something to look forward to around Thanksgiving.

A separate bus route may be available to students traveling directly from all residence halls to DuSable Hall, according to the Student Association. This route is not to be confused with the circle right or circle left routes; the bus is an express route stopping and leaving exclusively from DuSable.

“That was one of the goals of this current administration,” said Andre Ramsey, director of mass transit for the SA. “It’s a possibility to alleviate the overcrowding when it gets colder outside. The budget crisis in the sense of high fuel costs took precedence over our bringing it back. Its return is totally determined by what happens with this fuel.”

The purpose of the express route is to prevent overcrowding on circle routes.

“Basically, it’s an express shuttle running from the residence halls straight to DuSable and back during the high peak times of classes,” Ramsey said.

Sean Kyles, a senior industrial engineering major and Huskie Bus driver, is in favor of the new route.

“As a veteran driver I think the express bus is an excellent decision,” Kyles said. “It makes the circle route driver’s life a little easier but I still don’t think students will notice the bus or know where it goes.”

Publicity, student support low

Advertising has been a problem for the express bus in the past. Students were unaware of the bus’s existence last year and assumed the express bus was one of the standard circle routes. Ramsey said the SA planned to use the local press or Channel 8 as advertising venues.

Senior French major Tariq Khan lives in Douglas Hall. Khan said he thinks the additional bus is a waste of gasoline.

“Personally, I think the ones we have now are good enough,” Khan said. “It’s a short enough walk, like seven minutes on average. I’ve done without it for three years and it doesn’t bother me.”

Freshman undecided major Alison McLeod disagreed with Khan, and said she would take the express bus more than a circle right or circle left route because the majority of her classes are in DuSable.

“It would make my walk to psychology faster,” McLeod said. “I would totally take it.”

Although students in residence halls disagree whether the bus is necessary, stronger views were represented by those living off-campus. Patrick Hellman, a junior English and theater double major, was outraged at the addition of another route. Hellman said because students’ money funds the buses, students should decide where the buses stop and how many of each are in operation.

“There needs to be another No. 7 [route],” Hellman said. “You have to wait an hour for the next bus if you miss one. If you’re outside of town, it takes 45 minutes to get back.”