Long Beach Transit made changes to its schedule last Sunday, including reduced trips to the Cal State Long Beach campus.
Route 96 ZAP, which goes from Downtown Long Beach to CSULB and back, will have fewer trips on Friday mornings. Routes 91, 92, 93 and 94 have similar routes as the 96 ZAP, and give students traveling from downtown more opportunities to get to campus.
The change was made due to the low ridership on Fridays, possibly as a result of the low number of Friday classes, said Kevin Lee, LBT marketing manager.
“We are constantly monitoring our routes all year round,” Lee said. “We saw an opportunity to adjust that schedule.”
LBT adjusts its schedule three times a year, Lee said.
Changes will also be made to some trips along route 171 in an effort to alleviate congestion. There will be an increase in trips west of CSULB and some trips will turn around on campus instead of continuing.
“Students are riding the bus more and more,” Lee said.
The newest changes could be helpful for students like junior psychology major Melissa Winter, who frequently takes route 171 home from campus.
“I take it on Tuesdays and Thursdays, since it is right when the RLC shuttle driver goes on his or her break,” Winter said. “There are so many people riding it back to RLC, and it’s so packed. One time the bus driver didn’t see me and almost drove off before I could get to the door.”
Although Lee said the adjustments to the schedule should not affect students, the timing of the changes, three weeks into the new semester, has been an inconvenience for some.
“The last couple weeks, with the new semester, I had worked out my schedule to work with the bus and I could get to morning mass and to school on time,” said Violet Herman, a junior film and electronic arts major. “That’s the only reason I use the bus, but it’s really annoying because the old schedule was perfect for me. The [new] timetable is throwing me off — I’m not sure when the bus comes.”