Cy-Ride is used by countless numbers of Iowa State students and Ames citizens everyday.

Now, thanks to the addition of Cy-Ride’s newest route, the gray route, more students can utilize Cy-Ride’s services.

“The gray route is actually a variation of the older blue route,” said Bob Bourne, director of Cy-Ride.

Bourne said the addition of the gray route was decided last summer, in response to student demand for extended transportation.

The new gray route, Cy-Ride dispatcher Chad West said, starts at North Grand Mall, just like the red, green and blue routes.

From there, the gray route buses will take Grand Street to Bloomington Road.

From Bloomington, the buses run onto Hoover Avenue, and then will take Buchanan Drive into campus.

This expanded route is currently operational, West said.

“The new route helps service many more people from north Ames,” West said. “I know already there are plenty of people using the gray route, both in the morning and evening.”

Bourne said Cy-Ride is pleased with the new addition.

“The route helps more students connect with campus,” Bourne said. “It helps more students get to classes, and that’s our goal.”

The gray route currently runs two times in the morning and two times in the evening.

Cy-Ride hopes within the next couple years to have the gray route run every 30 minutes.

Bourne said to cover the costs for the addition of the gray route, ISU, ISU students and the City of Ames will probably have to help with its costs.

“Fees [for Cy-Ride] go up every year in proportion to tuition costs,” Bourne said, noting the fees might come from the possible 3.9 percent tuition increase for ISU students next year.

He said Cy-Ride’s Transit Board, which has two ISU students on its staff, will begin discussions in mid-winter about Cy-Ride’s budget increases.

Borne said Cy-Ride listens to calls from students all over campus who need transportation.

Cy-Ride directors decided the gray route would help students moving into new apartment complexes in the northern area of Ames get to campus.

“There are many new developments [by North 24th Street], and a lot more higher-density housing,” Bourne said. “That area will absolutely explode within a year.”

Bourne said he received many calls from students over the summer to extend Cy-Ride services to apartment complexes located at 3500 North Grand .

He also said many students who want to work in east Ames are asking about possible transportation.

Borne said to keep up with the growing demands for new and expanded routes, he will probably hire several new bus drivers.

Cy-Ride currently employs 70 drivers, Bourne said.

He said of those 70 drivers, 50 are part-time workers, and the majority of those 50 are ISU students.