PURCHASING MULTI-PURPOSE BUSSES

November 22, 2016

Fayneese Miller
Hamline University
1536 Hewitt Ave
St. Paul, MN 55104
Subject: Feasibility Study
Dear President Miller,
On October 16, 2016, I requested permission from you to perform a feasibility study on whether
Hamline University should purchase multi-purpose busses for campus use. I assured you that the
study would be completed in its entirety by November 27, 2016 and you approved my request. I
have completed this study, which I have outlined in my research proposal, and I have attached
my findings from my research over the semester.
I am currently a junior at Hamline University, where I am a member of the mens ice hockey
program. I have only lived in Minnesota for three years now, but ever since I moved here I
instantly fell in love with the state. Being a student who is very involved in different programs
throughout the school, I felt it was necessary to research whether it was feasible to purchase
busses for use on campus. There are many students attending Hamline University who currently
have no ways of transportation around the Twin Cities. Although I do have transportation
provided for me, I decided to take matters into my own hands to give assistance to those students
who do not have any way of transportation and my feasibility study will provide more
information.
In order to determine if students at Hamline University were really interested in this study, I have
distributed 34 questionnaires to campus students and analyzed the data I have received.
After examining the results of the questionnaire, the results showed that majority of the students
on campus would indeed use a bus for transportation, if provided by Hamline University. In
addition to my questionnaire, I used multiple online databases to provide information on the cost
of a bus and different ways the busses could be used. This information shows that schools
throughout the United States use these types of busses on their campuses for many different
purposes. Based on the data I have obtained, it is my recommendation that there be a more indepth study to be conducted on whether Hamline University should purchase multi-purpose
busses for student use.
Thank you for granting me permission to conduct this study. If you have any further questions
feel free to contact me at 717-418-4061 or cbentzel01@hamline.edu.
Sincerely,
Cody Bentzel

Purchasing Multi-Purpose Busses for Hamline University:

A Feasibility Study
Cody Bentzel
22 November 2016
Hamline University

Abstract
Students at Hamline University come from different places around the world; therefore, some
have no initial ways of transportation while attending college. The purpose of this paper is to
persuade Hamline University to purchase multi-purpose busses to create more opportunities for
students to travel around the Twin Cities. Some opportunities that would be available to students
would be athletic events, a safety shuttle from local bars/ restaurants, and local bus trips to
different iconic venues around the greater Twin Cities. The research will focus on the feasibility
of purchasing multi-purposes busses for Hamline University. Although this may be feasible, it is
required that a more in-depth study be conducted to determine if it would affect Hamline in a
positive manner.

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Results..............................................................................................................................................6
Students Interest in Bus Trips......................................................................................................6
Students Who Will Use Fan Bus..................................................................................................7
Average Number of Athletic Events per Student.........................................................................8
Conclusions......................................................................................................................................9
Recommendations............................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

Introduction
On October 16, 2016, I submitted a proposal requesting permission to research whether it
is feasible for Hamline University to purchase multi-purpose busses. The objective for this study
was to determine if were feasible for Hamline to purchase such busses, if the students of the
university would have any interest in different events planned around using these busses.
Hamline University currently has 2117 undergraduate students, who are enrolled fulltime for the fall semester. Of the 2117 students, 20% are from out of state; therefore many will
not have viable transportation around the Twin Cities (Hamline University, 2015). Not having
transportation will limit what college students can accomplish within the surrounding area. Even
though transportation is provided for college athletes to away sporting events, owning a bus
could take away costs of renting a bus for transportation.
The initial cost of purchasing a bus is an investment the University should consider. Not
only do these busses have multiple areas of use, but also can be beneficial for the students. After
researching different types of busses, it is safe to say that a hybrid bus would be most efficient
for the initial purpose. Research says, that a hybrid bus will reduce operating costs, which
ultimately will be beneficial compared to other types of busses (Veronikis, 2010). The cost of a
hybrid bus, on average, is around $530,000 (Veronikis, 2010).
During the 2005-2006 school year, over 45,000 student athletes were transported to
various sporting events across the country (Lavetter & Kim, 2010). One way students are
transported to events is the use of the multiple passenger vans. These vans can hold up to 15
students at a time, and are more likely to roll over when carrying too many passengers. Instead of
using these utility vans, college campuses are now purchasing 20 seat passenger busses (Lavetter

& Kim, 2010). Purchasing a bus can be a great investment for both the college campus as well as
the students of a particular campus. Most all universities around the United States rent busses to
transport their athletes and occasionally send students on bus trips of their interest. On average, a
coach bus will cost $943 a day to rent (National Average Bus Rates, 2013), whereas if the
university purchases a bus it is an investment that will help in the long run.
While conducting my research, there was a major benefit to having a bus owned by
Hamline University. Like many schools around the country, college campuses administrators
want to protect their students from drinking and driving. Having access to a bus could be
beneficial for students safety when drinking alcohol and searching for a ride home. Colorado
State University implemented a bus that departs campus every 15 minutes and drives to the
nearest bars for drop-off or pick up (Ditzenberger, 2015). College students are going to
occasionally drink and go out to different bars around the city. Owning a bus would be beneficial
because students would no longer need to find proper means of transportation to and from the
bar. Kyler Hanson, a junior at CSU, says the best part is the $1 fee it cost to get home safe
(Ditzenberger, 2015). The safety of students is a major concern for administrators today, and
owning a bus could help this cause drastically.
Although not all college students are able to legally drink, there are many different
universities that offer a safe ride program to their students. A study at Midwestern University
(MU) examined how a safety shuttle can change the entire environment and culture of a college
campus (Elam, McKaig, Jacobs, Whitlow & Gros Louis, 2006). Students around campus value
these programs because students who partake in drinking are always looking for a responsible
and safe ride home.

Methods
The following research methods are a summary of the research that I have completed.
This research was used to determine if it is feasible for Hamline University to purchase multipurpose busses:

I created a questionnaire to determine if there was student interest in purchasing

multi-purpose busses at Hamline University.

I distributed 34 questionnaires to students on Hamline Universitys campus.
I evaluated the data from the questionnaires and provided graphics with statistical

information.
I reviewed various online sources from the Bush Memorial Library databases at

Hamline University.
I reviewed numerous feasibility examples on blackboard to acquaint myself with

the various techniques from previous years.

I examined different studies from Universities across the United States that had
similar
Results

Students Interest in Bus Trips

Over the last several weeks, I examined what type of bus trips Hamline University
students would be interested in taking during the school year. I conducted a survey in order to
examine multiple locations around the Twin Cities that students would most likely want to visit,
and a safety shuttle for students of Hamline. Table 1 explains the different locations and uses that
a multi-purpose bus would provide for students of Hamline University. The most common use
for these busses would be to provide students transportation to various sporting events around the
Twin Cities. Students would be able to get transportation for free to support their school at
various athletic events around the metro area.

Figure 1. Attractions around the metro area that students are most interested in visiting
Students Who Will Use Fan Bus
I have conducted a survey, over the last several weeks on how many students would be
interested in free transportation to and from various sporting events around the metro area.
Students who attend athletic events on campus but do not have reliable ways of transportation
will benefit because it is a free service that is offered to students. Table 2 explains whether
students of Hamline University will participate in free transportation to and from various
sporting events around the Twin Cities. If a student fan bus were available to students for away
games around the Twin Cities, it would be beneficial because there would be a wide variety of
students that could attend. Without these fan busses, numerous students would not be able to
attend different athletic events because they have no way of transportation to and from the
events.

Figure 2. Number of students willing to ride a fan bus to various sporting events in the metro
area
Average Number of Athletic Events per Student
Over the course of the last several weeks, I examined how many athletic events students
at Hamline University attend. I examined the number of athletic events that a student will attend
during a single semester of classes. Table 3 illustrates the number of athletic events that a student
attends each semester. This table includes events that take place on Hamline Universitys
campus, and other campuses around the Twin Cities.

Figure 3. Number of athletic events that Hamline University students attend each semester
Conclusions
After reviewing the questionnaires, peer reviewed articles and analyzing the data
gathered, the following conclusions were made from this study:

The data from the questionnaire proved that students would be interested in using these

multi-purpose busses to attend various events around the Twin Cities.

The data from the questionnaire also shows there are many students who attend Hamline

University that do not have proper needs of transportation.

According to Veronikis, a hybrid bus would cost nearly $530,000, a price that may be to
expensive for such a small private institution
Recommendations
Although there is substantial data that shows that students from Hamline University will

support multi-purpose busses, it is recommended that:

An additional study be conducted with a more in depth questionnaire that will ultimately

be distributed to a larger amount of students at Hamline University.

A more in-depth study would help determine the process of purchasing a bus, and the
exact size of a bus needed to fulfill the duty.

References
Carol Elam, Richard N McKaig, Bruce Jacobs, Maggie Whitlow & Kenneth R. Gros Louis
(2006) Examining a Safe Ride Program: An Assessment of the Midnight Special Late
Night Bus Service, NASPA Journal, 43:2, 358-376
Development, C. Bus Types Reference Guide, Retrieved November 21, 2016, from
https://www.busrates.com/buses/bus-types/
Ditzenberger, H. (2015, Feb 23). Destination: Drunk Bus. University Wire Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1657489903?accountid=28109
Hamline University. (2015). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from
http://www.hamline.edu/offices/institutional-effectiveness/basic-data/
Lavetter, D., & Kim, H.D. (2010). Transportation Practices in Community College Athletics.
Community College Journal of Research and Practice. 34(6), 449-461.
Veronikis. E. (2010). Agencies put brakes on bus buys. Central Penn Business Journal, 26(23),
17-17, 20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/356879606?
accountid=28109