 "Photo: Photo provided by Grant Schmidt")
The University signed a contract with Transpo Thursday, making the proposed route 7A official, student body president Grant Schmidt said.
The Office of Business Operations handled the contract, he said.
The route will run about every 18 minutes from Library Circle to South Street Station, passing several student bars and neighborhoods. Schmidt said the student government initiative is meant to give students a safe form of transportation off campus on the weekends.
The bus is currently scheduled to run starting Dec. 4.
Although the route has been drawn up by Transpo, Schmidt said the times and stops could still be changed.
“We will see how things go on the first thing and make changes accordingly if necessary,” he said.
The route has eight stops. The bus starts at Library Circle and then stops at Notre Dame Ave. and Howard Street, Jefferson Street and Notre Dame Ave., Main Street and Colfax Ave. and then South Street Station.
After South Street Station, the bus stops at Michigan St. and Colfax, Jefferson St. and Notre Dame Ave., Howard Street and Notre Dame Ave. and then back to Library Circle.
This route takes students near the apartments east of campus, the Linebacker Lounge, Corby’s Irish Pub and the Blarney Stone, commonly referred to as Finnegan’s. Schmidt said Transpo is looking into taking the route through Eddy Street Commons, but they have to determine if the buses can fit down the street.
Transpo could make small changes to the route as well, he said.
“I have been talking with South Bend police, owners of restaurants and bars and landlords,” Schmidt said. “This has really been a team effort.”
Schmidt said he hopes to print out a more student-friendly Transpo schedule on cards. The current schedule was created by Transpo and does not indicate which stops are near which bars and neighborhoods.
Student government and the Office of Student Affairs funded the new route 7A. One bus will run from 9:40 p.m. to about 3:15 a.m. every Friday and Saturday night.
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