New shuttle buses being tested

---

by Peggy Lai

---

A new shuttle bus is currently being test-driven on the inner loop.

According to Transportation Manager Eugen Radulescu, Rice is currently looking to buy one or two shuttle buses to round out the existing fleet to six. Every year thereafter, one of the old buses will be replaced until there are a total of six new shuttle buses.

Rice currently owns four shuttle buses, with two running on the inner loop route, one on the graduate house route and the last on the outer loop route.

Radulescu said that other types of shuttle buses will be tested in the future, with a selection made, hopefully, by the end of next month.

The buses currently being test driven are Starship Gemini, manufactured by the company Stewart and Stevenson.

Test drives started on Jan. 15 and will continue until Feb. 5.

The budget for the purchase of shuttle buses is yet to be determined since the vehicles to be tested may vary greatly in price.

The Starship Gemini buses are ticketed at $110,000, but Radulescu stressed that in purchasing, the actual amount paid may differ greatly depending on the number of accessories added and the outcome of negotiations.

The door mechanisms and electrical braking systems on the old shuttle buses experienced frequent breakdowns since they were not designed for Rice's needs.

Electrical consumption on the shuttle buses are high, and since short distances are traveled at low speeds, the alternators on the old buses do not have enough time to recharge the batteries.

There are also occasional cases of overheating.

However, "anything has mechanical problems," one shuttle bus driver said. "I have no comments on this one yet."

The driver said that the new bus is "not harder to drive."

Rice is seeking to buy new shuttle buses due to an increased demand from students.

Last spring, a parking and transportation committee was formed with three undergraduate representatives.

The representatives are Hanszen College junior Mike Munson, Lovett College junior Laurie Palombo and Wiess College senior Jay Fundling.

"We're currently working to increase efficiency by regular purchases of new buses to meet the requests of students as determined this fall through the college cabinets," Munson said.

A survey by the committee revealed that while on-campus students used the buses only occasionally, off-campus students used them very frequently.

According to Munson, many of the off-campus students saw the shuttle bus service as compensation for being kicked off campus since they provided a safe and easy way of getting to the stadium parking lot.

A cost analysis presented to the committee also indicated that reducing shuttle bus services to a bare minimum would not impact costs significantly.

Currently, the shuttle buses run around the inner loop on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m., and they make runs to the Graduate House on the half-hour until 11:30 p.m.

"We have a very specific service, and that's the bottom line," Radulescu said.

Criteria

To fit the needs of the shuttle bus service, the new vehicles are being examined using the following criteria:

• Braking system -- The shuttle buses need to stop frequently over short distances.
• Exits -- The more the better, for the ease of passengers entering and le aving the bus.
• Electrical systems -- The ones in the old buses were unreliable and unsu ited for the demands of the route.
• Cooling systems -- To deter the Houston heat and humidity.
• Capacity -- The buses need to carry 16 to 22 passengers.
• Comfort -- The inner loop can be bumpy.
• Appearance -- Radulescu emphasized the desire for a pleasant appearance.

This item appeared in the News section of the January 26, 1996 issue.

Copyright © 1996 The Rice Thresher. All Rights Reserved.
This document may be distributed electronically, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted without the express written permission of:
The Rice Thresher, Rice University, 6100 Main, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.