Crimson Ride reverted to its previous off-campus apartment routes on Monday following student disapproval of the newer system.
“The decision was made after carefully considering consistent student feedback and operational monitoring, determining that reverting to scheduled service would best restore confidence among the largest number of riders,” said James Knickrehm, associate director of transit for the University.
The University of Alabama said the change “comes after feedback brought forward” by the Student Government Association, the Graduate Student Association and The Crimson White in a post on their official Instagram account
Before this change, the bus routes were temporarily altered to a continuous loop, which required students to track the bus on their phone to time their departure. The buses once again travel between apartment complexes and the dropoff point at Smithwood Drive on a schedule.
“Before the change, I had to keep an eye on the bus location and estimate when it would arrive, timing my departure with the hope of not missing the bus or wasting time waiting for the bus,” said Alexis Dryjanski, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “Now, I can leave my apartment at the same time every day and catch the bus, without having to check the app.”
The on-campus dropoff point at Smithwood Drive, which was converted to paid parking when the scheduled system was initially changed, has been changed back to the original location.
“I’m really impressed with how quickly Smithwood Drive could be converted back from paid parking to a bus hub, and have to give credit to the Crimson Ride for it,” said Andrew Haselton, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “While the initial decision wasn’t sound by any means, the response was.”
Knickrehm said Crimson Ride will “closely monitor operational performance and student feedback” and implement minor adjustments to routes and schedules as needed.
Dryjanski and Haselton said they were never notified of any changes when the last change was implemented.
“Any future updates or changes will be communicated prior to implementation,” Knickrehm said.
