Unitrans, the student-run bus service that has helped move UC Davis and the city of Davis for 40 years, is inviting its passengers and other fans to celebrate two milestones: the dedication of a new campus terminal and the transit system's 50 millionth rider.

The ceremony is scheduled at 2 p.m. Oct. 30 at the new terminal on Hutchison Drive across from the Silo.

The terminal includes off-street parking for buses when they are not in service. Previously, Unitrans buses lined up on Hutchison. Without the buses, the street is safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

As for bus passengers, they now have a concrete platform so, in the rainy season, they will not be standing in the mud. Benches, bike racks and passenger shelters will be added in coming months.

The project also included a sidewalk between the Life Sciences Building and California Avenue.

The $1.5 million terminal also serves the UC Davis Medical Center shuttle, Yolobus and Fairfield Transit.

Funding came from more than $1 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration, plus undergraduate student fees.

During the ceremony, Unitrans will honor a passenger as its 50 millionth rider and give that person about $50 in restaurant gift certificates. Light refreshments will be served.

Unitrans began service in 1968 with two double-decker buses from London. While the double-deckers remain in daily use, Unitrans also operates more than 40 modern buses, fueled with clean natural gas, on 14 routes in Davis. Unitrans carries about 20,000 riders on a typical day and more than 3 million annually.

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