Increased enrollment at Syracuse University has been one factor in overcrowding on South Campus buses.

Centro bus systems have noticed a significant difference since the rise in enrollment, but have not received an increased number of complaints, said Steve Koegel, Centro’s director of marketing and communications.

SU’s total enrollment has increased by 10 percent from 2006 to 2010.

The larger enrollment has caused Centro to increase the scope of its services in order to meet the demand, Koegel said.

People living on Farm Acre or Small Road get passed nearly every morning because the buses are at capacity before those stops, said Aliyah Griffith, a sophomore on the pre-med track.

“I usually leave 30 minutes early for class,” Griffith said. “I live on Winding Ridge, which is the first stop, so I never get passed.”

When she leaves South Campus in the morning, Griffith said there is usually only standing room left on the bus.

This problem is something Melanie Gruenbaum, a junior international relations major, also noticed.

“If you’re one of the last stops, you may be in trouble, but they do try to do back-to-back buses at times they know students need it,” Gruenbaum said.

Centro makes adjustments when they deem them appropriate, Koegel said. Adding more buses to particularly busy times has helped some routes run more efficiently.

“The new Small Road takes a lot of pressure off the outbound bus,” said Centro bus driver Tim DeGroff.

DeGroff said buses have been less crowded thanks to additional buses and stops.

“This year has definitely been better,” he said.

There are always additional crowds at the start of the semester, Koegel said, because students are still getting acclimated to the bus system. Students also cause congestion when they wait until the very last minute to catch the bus for class, he said.

Said DeGroff: “As the semester goes on, the students get the hang of it.”

Published on September 19, 2012 at 2:08 am

Contact Jen: jbundy@syr.edu