As the temperature drops, more people are opting to catch CABS busses, leading to overcrowded bus with drivers who struggle to stay on schedule. While students wait in the cold, the people of Ohio State Transportation and Parking Services are working on ways to cope.

Weekly ridership on CABS buses Winter Quarter is up 26 percent from last quarter, a jump of almost 8,000 people. The biggest jump in weekly ridership has been on the East Residential route, where ridership rose by 45 percent, or roughly 2,600 passengers.

Each CABS bus has a maximum capacity of 60 passengers.

Last year, there were only two buses on the East Residential route, often leaving many people waiting for more than half an hour.

An extra bus has been added this year to offset the increase in passengers — something students petitioned for last winter.

“We heard you loud and clear,” said Sarah Blouch, director of Transportation and Parking Services, about the extra bus.

This third bus has already helped to regulate the flow of East Residential passengers.

“It is really nice,” said Katie Mullin, a fourth-year in psychology and CABS bus driver for three years. “If the buses are spaced properly, there is usually enough room. If they are not, somebody is bound to get slammed and get too many people.”

To inform passengers of exact bus times, CABS set up the Transportation Route Information Program.

Through text message and the Internet, TRIP provides updated estimated arrival times of CABS buses for each stop. This feature informs people where the next bus is and when it will arrive. TRIP information can be accessed at trip.osu.edu or by texting the “bus stop ID” — found at the bus stop — to 41411.

“I use TRIP whenever I leave work,” said Brandon Crowe, a graduate student in biochemistry. “Instead of waiting half an hour, it’s good to know when the bus will show up.”

Estimating bus arrival times is not the only use for TRIP, Blouch said. “The idea with TRIP is to see the status of buses, then shift them accordingly.” This allows for unused buses to be sent where they are needed.

CABS is working to accommodate the increased winter traffic and advises passengers to be understanding of the situation.

“If you are waiting for a bus, be patient,” Mullin said. “I know it’s really cold. I know it’s irritating waiting for a bus. I’m a student, too. I’ve waited for buses, too.”