Justin VanleeuwenThe new director of Campus Bus Service comes by his love of big transportation honestly: He got in the driver’s seat when he was just 21 (with a proper license, of course).

“We have a really close family friend who drives, and a lot of my friends drive, so I’ve been around buses for years,” Justin VanLeeuwen said. “I drove a school bus for Richland-Bean Blossom School Corp. I’ve always felt more comfortable driving a bus.

“I think people get intimidated by the size, but it’s just like driving a car. It’s the same set of safety skills, just enhanced a little bit.”

VanLeeuwen started driving for IU Bloomington’s Campus Bus Service in 2017. He shifted into a supervisory role in 2018, then stepped into the assistant director role in 2021. He took over the director role on June 1, replacing Brian Noojin.

“Justin’s shift into his new role has truly been seamless, thanks to his tenure with Campus Bus,” said Julie Bauters, assistant vice provost for Auxiliary Business Services. “His experience as both a driver and a supervisor has given him a unique experience that only enhances his role as director.”

One of VanLeeuwen’s goals is to continue nurturing the family environment in Campus Bus Service.

“People enjoy coming to work because of their colleagues and, if we can make the environment positive and make it a place that employees enjoy coming to, then it makes us all stronger,” he said.

There have been a few changes at Campus Bus, including the use of the Bus Genius app. Campus Bus no longer creates bus schedules, but users can now use the app to follow route information and watch buses in real time using GPS.

Staff and faculty can ride any Campus Bus fare-free. In addition, thanks to a reciprocal agreement with Bloomington Transit, staff and faculty can ride any city bus fare-free as long as they display their CrimsonCard.

The Campus Bus fleet is also 100 percent accessible; all buses have a wheelchair ramp and a “kneeling” feature that physically lowers the bus to make entry/exit easier.

Bethany Nolan is interim internal communications manager in the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.