Some ISU students may be left out in the cold this semester because of overcrowded CyRide buses.

CyRide has experienced an influx of passengers since the onset of winter weather. Bob Bourne, director of CyRide, said everything possible is being done to ensure fluid transportation, and lately the more pressing problem has been distribution of buses, not breakdowns.

“Breakdowns are at their normal rate. We have 20 to 25 breakdowns a year, when buses actually stop running. There has been no increase. Our main problem is distribution of the buses,” he said.

Bourne said many factors contribute to overcrowding.

“We have enough buses to keep up, but sometimes they don’t get spread out in the right proportions,” he said. “Sometimes we schedule two buses at once, and one driver can pick up too many people, leaving the second bus with only about 30 people riding it.”

Bourne also said the students who use the Orange Route, the line that circles the ISU campus, should realize that overcrowding can be due to class dismissal times.

“A big problem for us is when a lab gets out frequently at 5:30 [p.m.], and one day gets out at 5:15 [p.m.],” he said. “If we don’t know this, the buses can become more crowded.”

Several students rely on CyRide to get them to class on time.

Susan Sherman, undeclared freshman, is a frequent CyRide patron. “It’s way too crowded at times,” she said. “They are usually on time, but if they are too full, then you have to worry about when the next bus comes so you don’t be late for class.”

Cicely Schramm, freshman in biology, has also been tardy for class when CyRide showed up late.

“When the bus is late, you can wait a little while to catch another one, but by then, you are already late anyway,” she said.

However, there are students who do not see the overcrowding as a setback.

“I don’t feel the overcrowding is much of a problem,” said Brian Asproth, junior in exercise and sport science. “I’ve been passed by when a bus was too full, but it has never made me late for class.”

Some ISU students said it is advisable for Orange Route passengers to leave the bus a stop earlier than usual to help alleviate overcrowding.

In the meantime, Bourne said CyRide will continue to work on these passenger puzzlers.

“The best thing that students can do for us is be patient; we are working on it as best we can,” he said.