During a public meeting about a CyRide budget shortfall, students and Ames residents shared their concerns on several proposed reductions to CyRide services in order to make up for a $170,000 budget deficit due to rising gas prices and insurance rates. 

CyRide currently has $250,000 of debt, but was able to find $81,200 in internal budget savings through the number of drivers in the office between runs, advertising and vehicle parts. 

Adam Guenther, a member of the Inter-Residence Hall Association and a Government of the Student Body representative, said several students had ideas to cut spending costs for CyRide. 

“The first and most significent idea they would like to see is have the Midnight Express bus start at 11 p.m. instead of 10:30 p.m. [corrected from 12:30 a.m.] and run it until 2 a.m.,” Guenther said. 

He said students have said the express route isn’t used much between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. 

The second idea, Guenther said, would be to reduce the green, violet and pink buses because they aren’t serving many students. 

Guenther said students are also complaining the orange route is too crowded. 

Guenther’s last idea was to cut the length of the six route. Instead of going the full route, the brown bus could go from Kildee to the Towers. 

A resident assistant in Wilson Hall said she was concerned about the possible cuts to the six brown route. 

She said the number or students living in the Towers has increased twofold in the last year from 250 students to 900 students.

“600 of the students are freshmen,” she said.

“Many of us have evening classes or organizations. To get to and from campus, if those brown routes are cut, would be difficult,” she said. 

Sheri Kyras, director of transit of CyRide, presented three scenarios the CyRide Board of Trustees created.

The first was a 20 to 25 percent across-the-board increase and a new fare category, which would still allow free fares for passengers transferring buses and children younger than 5.

The third option was to increase passes only, which would affect monthly passes.