Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) has implemented a new bus route.

According to Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), the bus route — labeled Main Street, or “MS” — will provide transportation toward the Health Sciences Campus and pharmacy school via Main Street. The new route will also service Main Street in Johnson City, Main Street in Binghamton and the University Downtown Center (UDC). The OCCT currently plans to keep the route for future semesters.

Toni Stefanakos, public relations coordinator for OCCT and a senior majoring in business administration, said the route was added to assist students in traveling to the Health Sciences Campus.

“Previously, our HSC route was only accessible from campus, and it either went straight back to campus after or continued as a [Westside (WS)],” Stefanakos wrote in an email. “Now, the MS is accessible from the main campus and from the Downtown Center, which makes the HSC easier to get to for those who live Downtown or on Main Street and have classes at the HSC.”

Stefanakos explained that an additional route will provide relief to the WS bus. With only one route servicing Main Street in Binghamton, the route tends to become crowded before reaching Floral Avenue. With multiple bus routes servicing Main Street, more seats will become available for passengers waiting at the Floral Avenue stop.

The change is in line with the OCCT’s goal of providing safe and reliable transport, Stefanakos said.

“In short, we are run by the students, for the students,” Stefanakos said. “OCCT is always looking into ways to service the maximum number of students, which includes plans for potential new routes that will service more areas that are heavily populated by [University] students.”

Students had expressed confusion toward whether the UDC shuttle was still in place, according to Stefanakos. She said the shuttle still exists but no longer runs as a UDC OUT/UDC IN. Instead, it is attached to the MS run. Stefanakos urged students who might want to go to the main campus before noon to take the UDC or DCL inbound buses.

If her advice is heeded, it will create the maximum amount of space for students that take the bus along Main Street going toward the main campus, according to Stefanakos, and will make it more efficient for students who travel to the HSC from UDC or the Westside of Binghamton. With the addition of the new route, students are now able to leave and arrive at campus using both the WS and MS lines.

Gabe Wong, a senior majoring in psychology, attends several classes at the Health Sciences building and makes frequent trips to the area. Wong shared his thoughts on his experience with OCCT transportation and the MS line.

“I can say without a doubt that the Main Street line is an improvement from last semester in its efficiency — it reaches the Health Science Campus quickly with minimal stopping in between,” Wong said. “However, the times that it runs are still inconvenient in that the Main Street line leaves either very early — students arriving 25 minutes before class starts — or right before class starts, resulting in students consistently being seven-to-10 minutes late.”

Sarah Shain, a sophomore majoring in business administration, expressed support of the new route.

“I think a new line will help students travel more efficiently,” Shain said. “Usually the bus gets crowded because so many students are coming on- and off-campus, so a new bus route will make it easier and allow students to be able to sit comfortably.”