Despite the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District’s customary summer schedule, which stops the service of the 21 Quad, 22 Illini and 26 Pack buses on campus, a recent press release shows that MTD ridership increased this summer by at least 18 percent compared to last summer. MTD representatives said ridership is not the only thing improving with the bus company, but that students arriving on campus this fall should expect a few changes to MTD’s services.

Among the changes is the possible implementation of a car-sharing program, which will allow students and community members, who register, to rent one of several “Zipcar” vehicles by the hour or by the day. Jan Kijowski, MTD marketing director, and Tom Costello, MTD assistant managing director, said that the program should help the University with parking and congestion issues on campus.

“We work very closely with the University,” Kijowski said, adding that the bus company is working on making the Zipcar program available very soon. “We have every expectation that, starting in October, this should be available to students.”

Morgan Johnston, transportation and demand management coordinator for the University’s facilities and services organization, explained users sign up online or by phone to receive a special membership card and then reserve their Zipcar. After that, users choose a special location to pick up the car where a simple wave of the membership card over the car’s windshield opens its doors.

Johnston said that Zipcar is just one of several projects that the University and MTD have set out to complete together since the University recently assigned a full time staff to work with MTD.

Johnston added that the partnership will also provide more alternative modes of transportation on campus. “We certainly want to work with each other to come up with the best solutions for the campus.”

Johnston said that other goals for the team include installing new shelters in various areas of campus. There are also plans of replacing the radio to radio STOPwatch timetables with new Internet connected timetables similar to the ones added to some Lincoln Avenue shelters.