Students and faculty are hoping to see a new bus stop located on Sweetheart Circle in response to academic departments and offices relocating to former residence halls.

Due to the communication arts department moving into Sanford Hall and the psychology department adding research labs and relocating offices to Brannen Hall, both department chairs would like to see a new bus stop placed on Sweetheart Circle so that students may have an easier time getting to their classes.

“It does make sense that, at some point I’m sure, they will be looking and reviewing the bus schedule and it would be pretty easy to just swing around Sweetheart Circle,” Pam Bourland-Davis, Ph.D. in mass communication and public relations and department chair of communication arts, said.

The psychology department will be relocating offices, research and computer labs in former residence facility Brannen Hall by the end of summer 2012, Department Chair of Psychology, Michael Nielsen, Ph.D. in psychology, said. The process of installing a new bus route on Sweetheart Circle is already being discussed, said Student Government Association as well as Parking and Transportation.

The process of installing a new bus route on Sweetheart Circle is already being discussed, said Student Government Association as well as Parking and Transportation.

“Since comm arts is moving over there where Sanford is, I definitely see it being a necessity,” Garrett Green, vice president of auxiliary affairs for Student Government Association, said. “You can walk over there but sometimes it can be inconvenient, so to have a bus route over there would be more helpful for students.”

“You can walk over there but sometimes it can be inconvenient, so to have a bus route over there would be more helpful for students.”

A survey would be the best way to voice the students’ thoughts on a new bus stop because mass numbers speak more than just a few, Green said.

“I always think that surveys and getting student input would always be a plus because if you’re backed by two hundred students who say that they’re in favor of this, it’s definitely more effective than four or five people coming up and saying ‘I’m in favor of this,’” Green said.

The administration doesn’t want a bus route going around the circle because it would make Sweetheart Circle look less prestigious, said Green.

“The really big issue is that a lot of the higher administration doesn’t want the bus going around the circle because it kind of takes away the effect of it being kind of as prestigious as it looks. So, maybe if they thought of some alternate way where they won’t go all the way around the circle, then the process would start sooner,” Green said.

Communication arts, psychology and art students think it would be a good idea and convenient for there to be a new bus stop on Sweetheart Circle that will be closer to their classes.

“That would be wonderful if there was a bus stop on Sweetheart Circle. It would help me get to my classes,” Shanna Felix, sophomore psychology major, said.

Felix will be taking research classes in Brannen Hall once labs are installed.

Other students who will be taking classes on Sweetheart Circle think a new bus route would shorten students’ walk to class and prevent the issues of parking.

“I think it would be a good idea so students wouldn’t have to walk so far, because that could be a long walk,” Gina Missini, junior public relations major, said.

“I know for other people, it would be pretty convenient just because there’s nowhere to really park over there,” Allison Bright, junior graphic design major, said.

A new bus route depends on current contract negotiations for transit service and could possibly increase student fees, Director of Parking and Transportation Kristi Bryant, said.

“We have frozen the transportation fee for next year at the current rate. We’re not asking for an increase. It just depends on how these negotiations come out as to if we have enough money to extend service,” Bryant said.

Other factors that would involve installing a new bus route onto Sweetheart Circle include research and statistics, Director of Parking and Transportation Kristi Bryant said.

Bryant said, “First you have to look at infrastructure. Are the roads wide enough? Is the asphalt stable enough? Can we load and unload passengers safely? Those are your first questions. What students would we be serving? That number would determine how many busses we would need and the frequency of the busses.”

Bryant said the current fee for transportation services remains at $55 for students.