The University signed an agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Wednesday evening to extend its contract by five years until August 31, 2018. The four campus bus routes will continue to run normally with no changes. Students will still be able to use the 170 U. of Chicago/Midway, 171 U. of Chicago/Hyde Park, and 172 U. of Chicago/Kenwood buses free of charge with their UCID, as well as the 192 U. of Chicago Hospitals Express bus for the regular CTA fare.

In 2012, the four University of Chicago routes had a combined 1.2 million rides, according to an article from RedEye. After the CTA raised the price of its contract by 30 percent last August, the University began searching for possible alternatives. However, according to fourth-year Douglas Everson, Jr., SG’s VP for Administration, after much negotiating since fall quarter, it was decided that the partnership with the CTA was a better fit than the other options.

—Thomas Choi