Traveling downtown just got a bit less exclusive.
The Octobus, a Graduate and Professional Student Assembly initiative that provides transportation between Penn's campus and 14th Street, was recently opened to undergraduates, giving another option for travel into Center City.
After an agreement between GAPSA and the Undergraduate Assembly, the shuttle now offers free rides downtown to all students through the end of the month.
Student leaders hope the Octobus will give University officials the impetus needed to install such a feature full time.
UA chairman Jason Karsh is eager to get undergraduates on board.
Karsh, a College senior, said there was significant undergraduate demand for the service, noting that although more graduate students live downtown, plenty of undergraduates frequent Center City restaurants and bars.
"This is the first weekend to let undergraduates really use it. We're looking forward to spreading the words as much as we can," Karsh said.
Octobus' relative success could help determine if a similar shuttle should be implemented.
But two and a half weeks into the shuttle's nightly runs, Business Services officials are still hesitant to comment on ridership numbers.
In the meantime, GAPSA president Dan Grabell said he thinks the shuttle has been well received.
"Numbers were slow the first week," Grabell, a second-year MBA student, said. "Now we're full on a regular basis."
For many graduate students, opting to ride the Octobus is a "safety issue," as well as a matter of convenience, Grabell said, since other transportation options, like SEPTA or walking, can take longer and cost more.
Grabell said the financial arrangement between GAPSA and the UA was based on an estimate that undergraduates would make up about 10 percent of Octobus ridership.
Through last Thursday, Grabell did not think the estimate had been met.
"Publicity's been low," he said, adding that a good estimate cannot be made until the end of the month.
Since his comments, the UA has detailed the Octobus more heavily and mentioned it in a set of e-mails to all undergraduates.
