Beginning this semester, Student Association will outsource the vacation bus program to College Express Bus, a Long Island-based company that also serves Binghamton University, SUNY Cortland, Ithaca College and Cornell University.
In past years, SA has handled all ticket sales itself and contracted with bus companies based on estimated demand. SA Service Manager Dianne Krenzer said that SA decided to outsource the entire process after last year's incident in which ticket sales for the Thanksgiving break bus had to be delayed because the booth was swarmed during Parents Weekend. Krenzer said that College Express Bus service provides "easier access for students and their parents."
College Express Bus will travel to more locations than the bus program offered in previous years, now incorporating stops in Suffern, New Jersey, New York City, Queens, Roslyn, Westbury, Huntington, Commack, Ronkonkoma, Medford and Manorville.
The cost of a round-trip ticket will be $98 for those traveling to Long Island destinations and $95 for all others. One-way tickets are $58 and $55, respectively.
Junior Mathé Kamsutchom, SA director of public relations, said that College Express Bus' Web site is very comprehensive and easy to use. "I'm just glad that it makes everyone's life easier," she said.
With the new service, students are guaranteed tickets by signing up online; in the past they were sold on a first-come, first-served basis that left many anxious students scrambling to find a plan B if tickets sold out. Krenzer said the new program provides a "stress-free option" for parents who want to plan ahead.
College Express Bus also offers bi-weekly round trips between Geneseo and Long Island. Buses will leave Geneseo at 1:50 p.m. on Friday afternoons and return at 10:30 p.m. on Sunday evenings. The schedule for the weekend bus is available at the company's Web site, and it may change to a weekly service if demand is great enough.
Although SA has outsourced the bus program, it still offers a free shuttle service to the airport, train station and bus terminal in Rochester before each break. Sign-up for the shuttle is already in progress for fall break and will begin on Oct. 27 for Thanksgiving break.
Also new this year is the "express shopper" Livingston Area Transportation Services bus that travels directly to Walmart and Wegmans from the Union at 2:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. during the week. At these times, the bus will go straight to the two plazas, giving students a half-hour to shop before returning to campus. Buses will still service the full schedule throughout the day, with schedules available online and in the College Union.
The weekend shuttle to Rochester also includes a new stop at Eastview Mall on Friday evenings that will allow students at least three hours to shop. Prior to this year the shuttle only visited the Eastview Mall on Sunday afternoons.
Students can view schedules or purchase tickets for the vacation or weekend buses at collegeexpressbus.com. A comprehensive list of transportation options can be found at transportation.geneseo.edu.