First Red Terror circuit of season reveals wrinkles

This week, system will limit size of items allowed, buses will wait on riders to fill after game

Ty Johnson

Editor-in-Chief

Though the Wolfpack’s trouncing in its season-opening football game against South Carolina last Thursday may have been unexpected to N.C. State fans, there were no surprises as far as the Red Terror Transit bus system was concerned, according to Student Body President Deputy Chief of Staff Tim Lipka, who is heading up the system.

Lipka said moving students to the game and back brought about some issues, but said Student Government will be implementing changes immediately to iron out the problems before the next game.

“We moved a couple hundred students from campus to the stadium and back,” Lipka said. “We learned some things were going to be changing for Murray State.”

Among the changes riders will see this weekend is a limit on the size of personal belongings and a new method pick-up.

“There will be no large containers allowed on the buses,” Lipka said. “Riders will be allowed one personal item.”

Lipka said the change was in response to one rider who brought a large cooler on the bus.

“That took up probably two to three spaces that some people could have been standing in,” Lipka said.

Beyond the normal crowding on the buses, Lipka said there were few other issues with getting students to the game, though there was a lot of traffic at the intersection of Trinity Road and Youth Center Road.

Shawn Sethi, a junior in biology, rode the Terror to get to the game and said he didn’t have any problems on his way to Carter-Finley.

“Obviously there was a lot of people, but that wanst unexpected,” Sethi said. “I knew it was like a sold out game. We didn’t have to wait too long.”

Sethi said getting back was a different story.

“When the game ended we expected [the buses] to be on the street,” Sethi said. “With all the traffic and stuff we had to wait for a while. I think it’s a good idea as long as the back end works because it was kind of annoying to wait for that long.”

Lipka said there will be changes made this Saturday in how students return to campus, largely because of the traffic issues from Thursday.

“The buses will all line up at the start of the fourth quarter and stage along Trinity Road,” Lipka said. “So as people leave the game they can board the buses and, as the buses fill, they’ll depart.”

Sethi said the new pick-up method sounded like a “perfect solution.”

“Having them waiting there seems like a better idea,” Sethi said. “So people arent wandering around.”

Lipka said during the South Carolina game the buses stopped running shortly after kickoff and didn’t begin service again until after the game ended. This week a bus will run continuously during the game and should help minimize crowds just after the game ends.