Record high gas prices have prompted more students to ride the bus. CyRide officials say the public transit system is ready to deal with the spike in fuel prices and surge in riders.

CyRide Director Bob Bourne said the escalating gas prices have prompted alterations in some of CyRide’s day-to-day operations, but he remains confident CyRide will continue to serve Ames without any major changes.

“This is a big obstacle,” Bourne said of the soaring prices, “but it’s not insurmountable.”

To alleviate some of the demand for diesel fuel, CyRide will fill its buses with 3% soy diesel, he said, until winter’s colder temperatures force them to use regular diesel again.

“We’re doing our part to reduce our dependency on imported oil,” he said.

Bourne said CyRide may discontinue bus routes that draw few riders or combine those routes with others. Which particular routes draw the fewest riders was not yet known. Bourne said the department would make the decision at a later date.

“We have standards for ridership on our routes,” he said. “We don’t want very few passengers on any one bus.”

He said routes that consistently carry passengers will remain unaltered.

“The basic schedule for the school year will not change,” he said.

Bourne predicted the rising gas prices may cause CyRide to run over budget for the second straight year. In response to last year’s budgetary situation, he said CyRide cut $112,000 worth of services in May. The changes included lay-offs and route alterations, such as changing the Red route to service riders from the canceled Purple route. The Blue route was also changed to service Jack Trice Stadium’s parking lots instead of the canceled Silver route.

Students need not worry about more service cuts for some time, he said, because CyRide cannot implement any more changes until the end of this school year.

Although the fuel prices affect nearly everyone, college students are among those facing the most financial hardship.

Bryant Voss, freshman in computer engineering, is now learning how to deal with high prices on a student’s budget.

“It can be $40 just to fill up,” he said while waiting at the CyRide stop outside the Union Drive Community Center. “It’s a burden.”

Voss said he’ll walk to class whenever he can to save money on gas.

“I’m sure I’ll be riding the bus quite a bit,” he said.

Burton Sly, freshman in liberal arts and sciences – open option, said the rising prices kept him from buying a new vehicle this year.

“I’d really like to buy a hybrid car now, but gas prices were so high I didn’t want to buy any car,” Sly said. “I’ll ride the bus and walk whenever possible.”