Instead of stumbling home from fraternity parties, students will be able to get a ride.

A new Loop will soon be running through the fraternity district on a trial basis, said Bruce Younkin, manager of fleet operations. But instead of buses, the Fraternity Loop will use vans, he said.

During a three-week trial period from March 21 to April 5, the vans will run from midnight to 3 Saturday and Sunday mornings, said Chris Markham, Undergraduate Student Government director of local affairs. Two vans will be running and should come about 15 minutes apart, he added.

The vans hold between 12 and 15 people, Markham said.

The new Loop will have stops at both ends of the fraternity district -- one at Allen Street and Fairmount Avenue and another at Fairmount Avenue and Garner Street, Younkin said, adding that the on-campus stops will be within reasonable distance of all dorm areas.

The fee for the new Loop has not yet been decided, Markham said. However, he estimated it would be between 50 and 75 cents.

The Loop will cost $25 an hour to run, Markham said. Fleet operations is providing the vans and drivers.

The original three-week trial period will cost $900, Markham said. Fleet operations is putting up $300 and the rest will have to come from USG or other interested parties willing to help.

The USG Senate has to approve the money for the Loop now that the proposal has been accepted by the University, said USG President Mark Stewart.

If the service goes well during the trial period, it will pay for itself with user fees, Markham said.

"The University's general feeling is that those who benefit from the service should pay for it," Younkin said.

The University was originally concerned about seeming to condone alcohol use by taking students to parties with the Fraternity Loop, Stewart said. As a result, the new Loop will only bring students home from the fraternity district, he said.

USG was also concerned about riders being drunk or sick on the vans, Markham said, but added that such things already happen on the regular Loop service and the new Loop would be no different.

USG and the University hope the Loop service will cut down on sexual assault, assault and vandalism by giving students a ride home after parties, Markham said.

Acquaintance rape could also be prevented with the service because women do not need an escort or a ride home if they can take the Loop, Stewart said.

The Fraternity Loop will be a completely new service -- not an extension of the current town and campus loops, Younkin said.

Extending the town or campus loop to the fraternity district two nights a week would have been disruptive to regular Loop service and probably would have left some students stranded when the buses did not arrive at the usual spots, Younkin said.

Buses would also have been unable to safely travel the route through the fraternity district because of difficult roads, Younkin said.

During the trial period, officials will be evaluating how many people use the service and at what times, Younkin said. If a sufficient number of people use the service, the University will probably make it permanent, he added.

In order for the new Loop to be considered successful monetarily, it needs to come close to breaking even, Markham said, adding that the service is starting small but can be expanded.

"There is a lot of room for growth," Markham said. "If people keep using it, it can only get better."