The Passport D and B buses have initiated a permanent route change effective Feb. 14to address changing demand in the Long Beach community.
The new bus route for Passport D will continue through Cal State Long Beach but will no longer service its course to the Los Altos Market, which is also served by the 90-series bus routes.
Passport D will instead travel west on Atherton Street to the Traffic Circle where it will loop around using the Outer Traffic Circle, Los Coyotes Diagonal and Ximeno Avenue back to Atherton Street.
Long Beach Transit marketing manager Marcelle Epley said the change was proposed to serve the apartment complexes, high-density communities and CSULB housing, and an increase in riders due to the elimination of the off-campus shuttles.
The proposed change to the Passport B, according to Elissa Thomas, CSULB rideshare coordinator, was finding the middle ground between CSULB and the residents along Eliot Street. Passport B will now run along Fourth Street to Ximeno Avenue.
“I’m very happy that the Passport D will alleviate crowding on the 171 bus to better meet the needs of the students who live near Atherton and the Traffic Circle.” Thomas said. “I’m also pleased that the Passport B will provide service to the fraternity, sorority and other students who live along Fourth Street to get to downtown or to Ximeno.”
CSULB student Jolene McCall found the new bus route for the Passport D an inconvenience — not for school, but for work. She considered riding her bicycle after a certain point to reach her destination.
Jade Dean, a CSULB student and frequent rider, felt for the riders who would be affected by the new route change to Atherton Street.
“If it’s a drastic change, it would suck for the people who have to change their routine,” Dean said. “Instead of 15 minutes earlier, maybe you’d have to get to the bus stop 30 minutes earlier.”