Traveling from north Ames to the Iowa State campus just got easier.

CyRide introduced its newest bus route Monday, giving Ames residents another transportation option. The new route, called the gray route, will run from Friley Hall on the ISU campus to the northwest sector of the city, a developing area of Ames.

“That part of Ames has not had any bus service,” said Bob Bourne, transit director for CyRide.

Bourne said the route was added because, as the north area of Ames continues to be developed, CyRide officials want to make many options available to residents.

“People make a decision about transportation right away when they move in,” Bourne said.

The gray route also is expected to service ISU students. Bourne said students living on the north end of Ames will be able to use the route to get to and from campus, and other students can use it as a direct route to the mall.

The new route will also make connections with other routes to access west Ames.

However, many students had not heard of the new route as of Tuesday.

Michele Chambers, senior in music education, was unaware of the new route. She said she would not use the bus line because she commutes to ISU from Huxley.

Jeremy Intemann, freshman in computer science, said he also had not heard about the route. But he said he would use the gray route “to get to the mall.”

Bourne said there will be promotions for the gray route throughout this fall to acquaint students and Ames residents with the route.

He also said there is a demand for more bus routes throughout Ames, especially service on the east end and during the evenings.

“We have a lot of requests,” he said.

Bourne said that although the gray route is CyRide’s “first route change in 11 years,” it will not be the last. As Ames grows, Bourne expects CyRide’s routes to multiply as well.

However, there will be no more bus routes this year. Bourne said the bus schedule is “set for the entire year,” but the transit committee reviews the system at the end of each year and will make needed changes.

The gray route will run this fall from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to about 6:30 p.m. Major stops are at Friley Hall, Kildee and Bessey Halls, #100 University Village, Aspen and Stange Roads, Fletcher Boulevard and Bloomington Road, Bloomington Road and Grand Avenue and the North Grand Mall.