With new routes and a recently revamped website, Higher Education Area Transit (HEAT) is back, but concerns still remain among students throughout Greensboro about the reliability of the service. “It’s just not on time,” said Jazmine Lewis, a first-year at UNCG.

Joshua Nickerson, a Guilford first-year and a casual rider of the HEAT bus, stated a similar concern.

“Being on time, that’s always important,” said Nickerson.

However, Nickerson does not seem to think the frequent delays compromise the overall usefulness.

“It’s still a ride that’s free and convenient,” he said.

The Guilfordian recently released a campus-wide poll to which 85 students responded. While most students agreed that having the HEAT bus is a convenient option, 44 percent agreed the HEAT bus was not punctual.

The year 2010 marks Guilford’s fifth academic year since the decision to introduce the HEAT bus services was made.

The HEAT bus, an extension of the Greensboro Transportation Authority, was created to offer students opportunities to connect to other campuses. The bus exists as an alternative to cars, and as an aid to students that would otherwise have limited transportation options.

The two newest routes include stops at popular shopping areas, such as Wal-Mart and the Four Seasons Mall.

“The bus reduces the need for parking in congested areas, making it easier to get around,” said Strategic Information Specialist for Greensboro Transit Authority,Kevin Elwood. “We have seen our ridership continue to increase since the first day.”

Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Aaron Fetrow stressed that the HEAT transportation option is more important than ever because of the campus’s “Green & Beyond” sustainability theme.

“There’s a big push for environmental impact,” said Fetrow. “Keeping a sustainable place, that’s what’s important to me.”

Transportation alternatives are part of Guilford’s strategy for reducing the amount of carbon emissions. Public transportation options like the HEAT bus could potentially cut down student reliance on cars and would be a step towards fuel efficiency if ridden more often.

In the poll, 68 percent of the students surveyed said they had ridden on the HEAT bus. Out of the students that had ridden, however, 62 percent said they had ridden “very little.”

According to Elwood, the possibility of eliminating reliance on cars is not the only environmental plus.

“We recycle tires every year and have regular maintenance on vehicles to assure maximum fuel efficiency,” said Elwood.

The Greensboro Transit Authority will also be introducing their first hybrid bus in March. Although it will not service any of the HEAT bus routes, it will be servicing the GTA area. This suggests that Greensboro could be seeing hybrid options for HEAT in a few years.

However, many Greensboro students with access to cars do not see the appeal in riding the HEAT Bus.

“There’s a balance, are you looking for efficiency or sustainability? When you don’t have a lot of time the bus doesn’t work as well,”said David Friedrich, a UNCG student .

“It’s not like we can just get on and go where we want to go,” said Yaojie Wang, a sophomore Geology major. “It takes multiple stops. It takes too long.”

“It’s convenient to have around if I need it,”said first-year David Cason. Cason said he believes the HEAT bus is important service to offer, even if it does not have a constant flow of student riders.

“We’re very open to feedback,” said Elwood. “We want your ideas for additional routes and your suggestions.”

Contact information is provided on the Ride HEAT website as well as inside the bus.

Based on the data surveyed, a move towards punctuality would likely increase student interest and ridership.

The new routes were added because of popular demand from students, so votes for a more dependable schedule would likely meet a listening ear.