How to utilize the campus and city bus routes

There are two bus systems available to you: Cache Valley Transit District buses and Aggie Shuttles.

The Aggie Shuttles go around campus. If you live on campus, chances are you won’t be on the buses for too long, as each trip will take no more than 10 minutes and you’ll probably only need to get on one bus to get from your dorm to your destination.

Utah Statesman

USU Aggie Shuttle Service recently decided to add two new routes due to popular demand to better facilitate the increased use of the system during peak hours.

Depending on which one you need to take, buses tend to be at a designated stop each 5 to 15 minutes. In peak times, some routes such as campus loop may have up to three buses running the circuit, shortening wait times even more.

The shuttle will stop at every designated stop, unlike CVTD buses which will stop when you pull a yellow cord.

Keep in mind that while all bus routes start their shifts at 7 a.m., some are only available until a set time. Furthermore, Aggie shuttles are only available Monday through Friday. To get a clearer view of which bus to take, visit www.aggiebus.com/schedule.pdf to see a detailed map and times of all the routes available. You can also use the app called USU Bus on both Android and iOS to see the routes and a live view of each pickup location.

If living off-campus, here’s a few more things to consider:

When looking for a place to live, make sure there’s a bus stop close by. You can use the CVTD website available at cvtdbus.org to keep track of every route that serves your area as well as your most convenient stop. Once you’ve done that, you can look at their time schedule to figure out what time you’ll need to wait for the bus. Be at the stop at least five minutes before the scheduled time so you don’t miss the bus.

CVTD buses are usually available every thirty minutes at any designated stop, so once you get the hang of it you won’t need to look at the website.

Each bus also displays the number of the route assigned as well as its destination. If you’re unsure where the bus goes, feel free to ask the helpful driver. Also, if you take the wrong bus, they will always return to the Transit Center located at 150 E 500 N.

Chances are you don’t live near the most direct bus routes that take you straight to campus (routes 1,1 Extended,2,4), so you may have to take two buses to get there. In that case, just make sure the final bus destination is the Transit Center, and from there just take bus one.

Keep in mind that the city bus will only stop if you pull the yellow cord around the perimeter of the bus or if someone is waiting at a stop to get on the bus.

There’s also the option to download an app which lets you see the live locations of each bus. You can get these apps directly from cvtdbus.org.

Happy commuting!

—Farlin.pz@gmail.com

@FarBlaze