Frequently Asked Questions
How many bus drivers are there?
There are currently about 300 bus drivers.
On average, how many seats are available for students per bus?
There are about 40 seats on older buses and 35 on newer buses.
How many students ride the on-campus buses?
Fall 2003, on-campus ridership averaged 14,712/day
Spring 2004, on-campus ridership averaged 13,924/day
How many students ride off-campus buses?
Ridership off-campus averaged 18,346/day in Fall 2003 and 14,916/day in
Spring 2004, including both to campus and back home.
What is the ranking of on-campus bus routes in order from highest to lowest
ridership?
This spring, the routes most used were:
Route 03 (Yell Practice) 3,480/day
Route 07 (Wehner Express) 3,094/day
Route 05 (Bush School) 2,877/day
Route 01 (Bonfire) 2,561/day
Route 06 (12th Man) 1,291/day
Route 02 (Replant) 621/day
How many buses are dedicated to the on-campus routes with the highest ridership?
Route 03 (Yell Practice) 4 buses
Route 07 (Wehner Express) 2 buses
Route 05 (Bush School) 3 buses
Route 01 (Bonfire) 4 buses
Route 06 (12th Man) 2 buses
How many buses does Texas A&M University own?
The University owns 79 buses.
What is the number of bus routes, broken down by on- and off-campus?
On-campus: 7;Off-campus: 9.
How much does it cost to operate a bus?
It costs approximately $41/hour to operate a bus on route. (This figure
includes fuel, maintenance, and driver.)
How much are the drivers paid?
The pay range for drivers is $8 to $9.25 depending on experience.
How much gas is used for the daily operations?
Approximately 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel is used a day.
How much does a new bus cost?
Our most recent purchase of transit buses were Millennium RTS buses. They were purchased for approximately $316,000 per bus.
How many hours of service does Transit operate each year?
Approximately 125,000 (roughly 75,000 hours per semester).
How many service miles a year does Transit drive?
About 1.4 million miles
How much would it cost to add more routes or to add more buses to each route?
We are currently at maximum capacity with a fleet of 79 buses. To increase
service would cost an additional $30 an hour per bus as well as $300,000 to purchase
each new bus.
If hours were expanded, would you expect increased ridership?
No. Our passenger counts have reflected that there is not a sufficient
demand for service after 6:00 pm. All of our evening routes operate at a loss,
but continue to operate for the safety of the students.
How many accidents has Transit been involved in?
From September 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004 Transit buses have been involved in 66 incidents.
Forty-two of these incidents have been the fault of the Transit driver. About half
of these at fault incidents are the bus mirrors scratching a sign or another bus.
How long have the current bus routes been in place?
Some of the routes have been in place for at least 10 years with minor changes made
when needed. We are trying to get to where any route changes will be announced by
the end of January so students leasing an apartment will know whether or not the
apartment will be served by Transit.
How are the routes determined?
Route placement is based on student requests and student density in certain apartment
areas.
