The Syracuse University Student Association is offering students round-trip bus services for Thanksgiving break.

The SA buses will serve New York City; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Rockaway, New Jersey. Tickets, which went on sale on Aug. 27, cost $99 and are sold at the Schine Box Office. There are still tickets available for trips to New York City and Washington, D.C., as of Wednesday.

The New York City and Washington, D.C. buses are 75 percent full, said Keelan Erhard, the chair of SA’s Student Life Committee, which arranges the buses each year. Flyers for the buses were handed out and advertised as early as move-in week and were distributed at parent events.

“Rather than students having to rely on finding a way to the (Regional Transportation Center) to catch a bus or train there, this brings the bus right to the students on campus,” Erhard said.

The buses will depart from University Place in front of the Schine Student Center on Thursday and Friday at 5 p.m. For the return to campus, the buses will depart from drop-off locations on Nov. 29 at 10 a.m., according to the flyer.

SA will also provide free shuttle services to the Regional Transportation Center and Syracuse Hancock International Airport for students who booked their own tickets home.

There are eight buses total, with two buses each for New York City, Boston and D.C., and one bus each for Philadelphia and Rockaway. Each bus has the capacity to hold 50 people, Erhard said.

“The profits go back into the program,” Erhard said. “The program is self-sustaining, and all of the money from the ticket sales go back into purchasing the buses for the following semester.”

SA has been providing this service for many years, Erhard said, and will also provide buses for spring break.

The shuttle services to the RTC will be provided Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. These shuttles depart on Waverly Avenue behind Schine every hour on the hour.

Shuttles returning from the RTC and the airport will be provided on Sunday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. These shuttles depart from the RTC 20 minutes past the hour. Shuttles departing from the airport’s North Terminal depart every 40 minutes past the hour.

Published on November 18, 2015 at 9:48 pm

Contact Stacy: sfern100@syr.edu | @StacyFernandezB