Student Government officials are aiming to improve the vacation bus service first implemented for spring break in March and potentially organize a bus service for the summer break, SG officials said.
“We did holiday buses for spring break and right now we’re planning them for students to get home for summer,” said SG Associate Director for Advocacy Erin Kingan.
“We’d like hopefully to see costs decrease for students, so we’d see how long we can get it for, and then how many times we can run it so that we’d be meeting the most student needs.”
Kingan, a College of Communication freshman, said in an attempt to improve the spring’s vacation bus service, SG officials administered a survey to students originally slated to end Wednesday.
The survey, which ran for two weeks and asked students where they would be going for summer, either to Logan International Airport or South Station, what day they would need it and at what time, Kingan said. However, after two weeks, the survey received few responses.
“We realized today [Wednesday] we only had 85 responses,” Kingan said. “The reason for that is because we couldn’t get a table at the dining hall some of the days, so we’re just going to be up for a few more days.”
Kingan said SG will use the survey feedback to cut ticket costs and to offer the buses at the most convenient times for students.
SG’s vacation buses initiative began in March and offered students an inexpensive way to get to Logan before spring break.
Fiona Chen, SG co-director of communication, said SG officials were pleased with the last round of holiday buses.
“It went really well,” Chen, a School of Management sophomore, said. “We sold about 70 percent of our tickets. It was pretty popular, which is why we wanted to make another one for the student body.”
Several students said not only did they not know about the survey, but also have never heard of the holiday buses.
Annie Pullen, a College of General Studies sophomore, said while she is unfamiliar with SG’s vacation buses program, she believes it would provide students with a useful service.
“It’s a really good idea, but they need more advertising for it — just because I’d never heard of it, and I haven’t heard people talking about it,” Pullen said. “People would definitely go for it though, because cabs are expensive.”
She said given the choice between Logan and South Station, she would choose the latter.
“I take a bus home to New Hampshire and it’s a pretty decent cab and both there [to South Station] and back — it adds up,” she said. “So, I think it’s a good idea.”
Aryeh Harris-Shapiro, a College of Communication freshman, said the buses to South Station make sense for people traveling during peak hours.
“I’ve ridden on the T to South Station with my bag — I’ve got a big bag, it’s a rolling bag — it’s kind of a pain,” Harris-Shapiro said. “Having a bus would be useful.”
Ben Sabath, a College of Arts and Sciences freshman, said he had not heard of the buses, but they would likely be helpful for students.
“I definitely feel like they can be promoted better, as I am only somewhat aware of what they do,” he said. “If I knew more I could say more, but right now I think promotion is key.”
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