Starting on September 11, Advance Transit rolled out an expansion of their hours, notably extending weekday services two hours later and adding a Saturday service. The change is a result of several months’ worth of consulting with local community members, including Dartmouth students and employees, to better understand how Advance Transit can meet the community’s needs. Dartmouth College has long contributed financially to Advance Transit’s budget, and the College increased its financial support to assist with the additional hours.
According to Dartmouth’s Director of Transportation Services Patrick O’Neill, the new roll-out is already reaping significant increases in ridership–so far, runs during the new evening hours are averaging about half of regular daytime runs, while the Saturday service average was nearly twice the typical weekday load. O’Neill remarked, “it’s really gratifying to see a bus full of people”–it means the new schedule is proving effective. Additionally, O’Neill reported that the Campus Connector has been “packed” recently, particularly the route servicing graduate student housing in Sachem Village. Dartmouth Transportation Services continues to remain committed to providing equitable, accessible transportation alternatives to single occupancy vehicles.
Community members board an Advance Transit bus in Lebanon on Saturday.