The Student Association Mass Transit Board started its engines Monday and made plans to confront the upcoming year.

At the board’s first meeting of the year, Mass Transit Adviser Christie Kret outlined the goals the board should accomplish this year.

“First, we would like to promote existing services such as busing, late night ride service and the Freedom Mobile,” she said.

She also said the board should form a route analysis. “We’re going to use a computer to keep track of the number of riders to help us see where we need buses,” Kret said.

Hopefully, she said the board will help promote the Voluntary Action Center (VAC), which provides transportation to disabled persons. Sometimes, VAC’s TransVAC bus is not used, she said.

Kret said the board should work more closely with DeKalb to qualify for federal grants from paratransit programs.

The board also plans to promote faculty and staff bus pass sales to help lighten parking problems on campus. “The board will also have to adjust to the construction taking place on Lucinda beginning in May,” Kret said.

The SAMTB is looking into moving the bus turnaround point to a location near the library.

SAMTB Fiscal Adviser Janet Potter will be going to a springfield convention of the Illinois Paratransit Association. The meeting will help the SAMTB catch up with current laws and compare its progress with other Illinois paratransit services.

Because the board only has two voting members, Kret said more student participation is needed. Kret’s position also will be available this semester.