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WVU's transit system closes for maintenanceMay 14, 2013 (The Dominion Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- This route is closed. The PRT won't run for the next few weeks so crews can work on various infrastructure projects. Many students are gone for summer recess. According to WVU, the work is on non-critical structural repairs and electrical projects for the system. The PRT closed Monday and will reopen June 3. Many students headed home for the summer during the weekend. The hope is the closure will ensure long-term preventive maintenance and help improve the reliability of the PRT. The work is just part of a larger plan to improve the system, including replacing on-board computers. In October, the WVU Board of Gover nors approved $15 million to fund the first of four phases under the PRT moder nization plan. The entire modernization plan has a $90 million price tag and includes replacing the entire fleet of cars and aesthetic improvements to the stations. Only Phase I of the plan has received approval and funding. WVU is taking bids to replace the original train controls. Once the university presents the winning bid, and receives BOG approval, officials estimate it will take up to three years to replace all the controls. The PRT started as a demonstration in the 1970s and 80s. Today, on average, riders make 14,500 daily trips on the system. While the PRT is closed, the university will offer a free bus shuttle that connects the Downtown, Evansdale and Health Sciences campuses. The shuttle will run from 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and will make stops near the PRT stations and the Mountainlair, Walnut Street and Chestnut Street. WVU students can also ride Mountain Line buses for free by presenting their student IDs. Summer classes start Monday for on-campus courses. ___ (c)2013 The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.) Visit The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.) at www.dominionpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |