By: Meredith Francis

Over the summer, Xavier underwent a few transformations that could change the way campus looks and operates for the 2013-14 school year.

A-lot closed to parking
In late May, the Office of Parking services sent out a mass email informing students that the A-lot (the parking lot located behind Fenwick Place and the Commons Apartments) would be permanently closed.

Because the parking lot is located within the University Station development site which broke ground earlier in the summer, the A-lot was closed, leaving car-owning students to find other places to park.

In order to accommodate for lost parking space, the university converted the C-3 lot located behind the Cohen Center to a new resident student lot.

“The new R-3 lot will adjoin the current R-2 lot and place a majority of our resident student parking in the same area of campus,” associate vice president Jeff Coleman said.

Commuter students that used to park in C-3 can still park in C-2 (Cintas), C-4 (Cohen) and D (Norwood Plaza). Additionally, Parking Services will communicate any game-day parking changes.

Xavier’s Safety Team is also currently adding additional lighting, security cameras and assistance phones to the new R-3 lot and along the Greensward Path that connects the lot with campus.

Students should be aware of new signs and can visit the parking services web page for additional information. For campus safety information, sign up for XU AlertMe and follow @Xavier_Safety on Twitter.

Metro*Plus bus services come to Xavier

In early August, Cincinnati’s Metro bus service announced a new limited-stop Metro*Plus route that connects Kenwood, Xavier, Uptown, downtown, and The Banks. The route also includes Cincinnati-area universities, including Xavier and the University of Cincinnati.

The route includes 17 stops along Montgomery Road corridor, between downtown and Kenwood Mall. New blue signs on Dana Avenue mark the bus stops at Dana and Woodburn, as well as Dana at Montgomery. Buses run every 15 minutes on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and every 30 minutes between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

According to a Metro news release, the Metro*Plus plan is part of a larger initiative of Cincinnati Metro to increase the ridership, efficiency and productivity of bus routes in Cincinnati. Metro*Plus is the first step in this plan.

“Buses and rails give one the chance to work, talk with others, sight-see and relax while being delivered to your destination,” Ann Dougherty, director of sustainability in the Xavier Office of Sustainability said. “And public transit also gives one the chance to walk at the end of the journey – to home, office, work place, restaurants and see more sights.”

For its first week of operation, free Metro*Plus rides are available from Aug. 19-23. After that, fares are $1.75 in Zone 1 and $2.65 in Zone 2. Visit http://www.go-metro.com to learn more about Metro routes, schedules and fares.

Those interested in using Metro*Plus for class or club outings can contact the Office of Sustainability.

Ryan’s and Andy’s close indefinitely

Over the summer, Xavier’s own Ryan’s Pub and Andy’s Mediterranean Grill closed their doors to Xavier students. Both are closed indefinitely.

At this time, the Office of Auxiliary Services is still working on legal points and cannot offer further information as to why Ryan’s and Andy’s closed. There is also no word on what will replace the vacant spots.