Late-night White Loop service will begin this weekend as a trial run for the spring semester, ending months of debate between student leaders and borough officials.
The White Loop bus service will run an additional two hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, making the route's end time 4:30 a.m., according to the proposed agreement drafted by the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA).
Though the proposal still awaits finalization, UPUA President Gavin Keirans (senior-business management) said it will be up and running by Friday morning.
UPUA will finance the project, spending about $11,000. The exact figure will be voted upon at this week's UPUA meeting.
The length of the trial period has yet to be determined. Penn State, CATA and UPUA plan to use this time to monitor the effectiveness of the added hours and any problems incurred as a result of the late-night buses.
They'll examine ridership, alcohol-related incidents, vandalism offenses, reports of assault and arrests during the hours of extended service, officials said. Feedback from CATA, police agencies, the Highland Civic Association and students will also be taken into consideration.
Newly inaugurated State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham said she applauds UPUA for their efforts to extend the route.
"It really extends the hours, helps them connect and provides a needed service to a wide range of student activities ... from studying somewhere to going to parties to being out of town," she said. "I hope it's successful."
Two student "transit ambassadors" will preside over the late-night routes to further monitor the White Loop firsthand. For the first week, these ambassadors will be UPUA members, but the organization is working to recruit additional leaders from other campus groups to fill in.
During the trial period, UPUA plans to make sure word gets out to students about the benefits of the added service.
UPUA Vice President Hillary Gupta said she and others are looking to especially target East Halls in their efforts to promote the bus route.
"One of my main initiatives is working on the White Loop, making sure that students know about it and use it to their advantage," Gupta (senior-marketing) said. "Hopefully, it will be successful and something we use in the future."
UPUA Student Life and Diversity Chairman Christian Ragland has worked on a number of safety initiatives this year and is enthusiastic about the White Loop extension. But he thinks this step can hardly be the last in a line of efforts to promote students' security.
"Having this trial of the White Loop Extension is a great safety precaution and a great way to speak out on safety measures," Ragland (junior-political science) said. "But this can't be where it stops. We have to continue to work to find other ways to fit the student body [on these issues]."
