For the next two weeks, students will be able to take a golden-colored Loop around campus with about 90 of their closest friends.

The Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) is now testing a new 60-foot articulated bus, which has two connected vehicle sections, to transport students and residents downtown and on campus.

CATA will use a bus, which it borrowed from Port Authority Transit (PAT) in Pittsburgh, with an accordion-like addition connecting the front and back sections.

"We've been thinking about trying this type of bus for several years now," Eric Bernier, CATA director of service development, said. "Clearly we've had a need for an articulated bus for a while."

While the standard 40-foot CATA buses can seat about 40 passengers with another 20 standing, the trial buses can seat 64 passengers with another 25 standing.

Throughout the test period, CATA will examine the community's reaction, the larger bus's feasibility for the current routes and CATA's ability to maintain a bus of this size.

Mary Edson (freshman-psychology) said adding a larger bus would ease overcrowding.

"When you're on the bus, especially the Loop, there are always people standing," Edson said.

Penn State's Department of Transportation Services has been working with CATA for several years to improve the overcrowding of buses traveling through campus.

"Penn State has expressed an interest in articulated buses for a number of years now," said Bruce Younkin, manager of fleet operations for transportation services. "This type of bus has the ability to transport more people using fewer pieces of equipment."

The articulated bus began its test period last weekend as both the Blue and White Loops, but Bernier said it may also operate on other routes.

The Waupelani Drive, Vairo Boulevard and Martin Street/Aaron Drive routes are all very crowded, especially during the day, Bernier said.

"In some cases, we cannot add another bus, but we can add a larger bus which would help to transport more passengers," he said.

In addition to size, there are several differences between the articulated bus and the standard CATA buses.

"The new bus has a shorter turning radius, which enables it to get around campus better," Younkin said.

The shorter turning radius does have its downside, though. The articulated bus has a much higher price tag than the standard buses.

"The articulated buses will cost about $550,000, whereas the 40-foot buses that operate on the Loop and Link cost about $330,000 when bought two years ago," Bernier said.

CATA has not used the articulated buses in the past because they were not made with clean natural gas, which CATA uses. Now, two major companies are manufacturing the articulated buses with clean natural gas.

The articulated bus borrowed from PAT is complete with plush seats and armrests, which Bernier said would be removed if CATA decided to bring a similar bus to Centre County.

"The setup and features can be changed to maximize space and capacity," he said. "The plush seats are not likely here."