Beginning Nov. 29, the Minnesota Student Association will perform a trial run of the 10th Avenue Bridge Circulator, a bus route that will connect the West Bank with Dinkytown. This project deserves experimentation because students have expressed interest in a 10th Avenue Bridge route in recent years.
Demand for a 10th Avenue Bridge bus route has been a popular issue recently. MSA President Ben Bowman and Vice President Matt Clark made reinstating the 10th Avenue Bridge Circulator a prominent issue in their campaign. Additionally, there was a proposal in 1996 to reinstate the route. The proposal ultimately failed.
The issue has remained unresolved until now. MSA members approved the $7,000 project last Tuesday in a unanimous vote. If the trial period shows that the bus is frequently used, MSA will procure funding for a permanently operated bus from other sources. The ridership goal is six passengers per trip.
Now the students who have been asking for this bus route for a long time need to show their support. The trial period will only be successful if the route is used enough by the students who have been demanding it.