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By Rachael Straus

Daily Bruin Contributor

The BruinGo! pilot program, which has provided the UCLA community with free access to the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus since September, was extended for another academic year Thursday.

The decision was based on positive student feedback regarding the program and inconclusive data on bus ridership, said Sam Morabito, associate vice chancellor of business and finance.

"After extensive discussions, we decided that even though current numbers didn't show substantial increases in ridership, we need at least two or three more quarters of data," said Mark Stocki, director of Transportation Services.

Part of the reason the data is inconclusive is because marketing for BruinGo! was initiated just shortly before fall quarter, Stocki said.

"The bus technology, which can read the BruinCard, wasn't ready until weeks before fall quarter so we couldn't market well in advance," he said.

Marketing plans for next year include sending information about the BruinGo! program in registration packets and sending e-mails to the campus community before they make their transportation arrangements for the year.

The program, which currently has a $1 million budget provided by Transportation Services, is hoping to secure grants from the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency for next year.

While it remains to be seen if the program will become permanent, much of the student feedback on BruinGo! has been positive.

"To give this option to students, staff and faculty is a nice token given by the university saying that they recognize the impossible parking situation on campus," said Douglas Kolozsvari, the Graduate Student Association representative on the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee.

Transportation Services will make the final decision on whether to establish the program permanently based on the degree of increased ridership on the Big Blue Bus and the procurement of necessary funds.

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