University of Minnesota students are nearly halfway through the semester and are still getting used to the campus bus routes that changed just before winter break. However, many students are not satisfied with the new routes and are calling for changes, the Minnesota Daily reported last week. 

Ridership on Campus Connectors is up, likely due to the subzero temperatures, but some students consider the new routes slow and inefficient. Some student government officials agree. The Daily reported that the Housing and Transit Committee of the Minnesota Student Association passed a resolution last week “urging the University of Minnesota to revise its campus bus routes.”

Transit changes will always be difficult, especially on such a large campus. After getting used to the new routes and figuring out how best to get to class on multiple campuses, it isn’t easy to switch. It’s likely that the light-rail Green Line, which will start service this summer, will alleviate some traffic. For example, the popular bus routes 16 and 50 will change and discontinue, respectively, once the light rail opens. However, students have legitimate concerns about efficiency.

Since most of the main Campus Connector routes now travel on Washington Avenue where there are many stoplights, it may take significantly longer for buses to get from one end of campus to the other than it once did.

The lack of an express route, which the University once had, is also frustrating for students hoping to get from the West or East bank to the St. Paul campus quickly. The University may consider adding an express route going down University Avenue toward the St. Paul campus. 

MSA is hoping to collect more feedback from students to better understand bus route issues, and we urge students to share their concerns with MSA.