UNA recently added extended routes to its shuttle bus service that is provided to students, allowing them to ride buses to downtown businesses and be shuttled back to UNA’s campus.

UNA’s Downtown Express was empty at midnight on Saturday, Sept. 17. The only person occupying the bus was its driver, Tommy Newman.

“It doesn’t pick up till late,” Newman said. “It gets busy about 2 a.m., and it’s usually busy until about 3 a.m. before I stop.”

The Downtown Express is part of the new shuttle bus program being implemented this year called Lion’s Way Express. The Downtown Express runs a route that consists of areas as far north as Ricebox, past Seven Points, and as far south as Walgreens.

In between, the bus stops in front of Harrison Plaza, Rice and Rivers Halls, Fraternity Row, the sorority dorms, On the Rocks, Flobama and several other smaller locations. The bus begins at 8 p.m. at Harrison Plaza and runs to around 3 a.m. It’s then that the bus begins to get busy.

“Right between 1:30 to 2:30, it’s all I can do to shuffle them all home,” Newman said. “It’s increased every week. The first night I started, I might’ve had five people.”

Newman keeps a head count of all the riders that get on the bus. As of 12:19 a.m. on Sept. 17, he had picked up 28 students and was expecting a total between 60 and 70 within the next two hours.

Despite the obvious spike in riders of the bus at the time the downtown bars close, Newman believes the bus serves more than just one purpose.

“It’s not just a drunk bus,” said Newman.

This confusion has been one of Vice President for Student Affairs David Shields’ concerns with the Downtown Express.

“I don’t want it to be perceived that way,” Shields said. “We had many students approach us who want to utilize downtown but don’t want to drive and park. We’re providing a way to get places safely and cost efficiently. We wouldn’t have done it if not for those student discussions.”

The bus is for students who want to go downtown and partake in what the downtown businesses have to offer, Shields said.

“If someone gets on who shouldn’t be driving, good,” he said. “But in no way should it be used as a way to go get tanked and simply hop on the bus to get home.”

No matter what the intention in implementing the Downtown Express is, students are paying attention.

Around 1:15 a.m., junior Taylor Elrod sat down in a seat on her way home.

“I wish people would use the bus more often,” said Elrod. “This is a really good idea.”

UNA senior Anna Terry is a fan of the bus.

“I felt safe,” she said. “I’ve gotten in taxis where I don’t feel comfortable, but I felt safe there. If more people keep talking, it will get bigger. I think it makes us more of a college town.”