New year means new shuttle schedule for base Published Jan. 6, 2011 By Brandice J. O'Brien Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Tinker has two new weekday shuttle schedules and one weekend schedule. New as of Jan. 1, the schedules replaced Tinker's previous shuttle and taxi service. The previous programs were eliminated due to budget constraints and the new program will save the base approximately $200,000 per year. Officials said the new shuttle schedule is also a more efficient transportation system. "The frequency of the shuttle bus stops has increased to every half hour and we now go all the way around the base," said John Dowd, 72nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Quality Assurance specialist. Known as the "red shuttle" and "blue shuttle," pick-ups begin 6:03 a.m. and 5:33 a.m., respectively. The blue shuttle canvases the base in a clockwise fashion and the red shuttle drives counter-clockwise. The red and blue shuttles operate Monday through Friday until 6:20 p.m. The weekend shuttle operates from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. canvassing the west side of base. The bus does not stop near Bldg. 3001 on the weekends. "It's been well timed out," Mr. Dowd said. "They may not be there right on the money, but it will be close, within minutes." With that said, Mr. Dowd said unforeseen circumstances and challenges are expected. During a test run, Mr. Dowd said he ran into issues at Bldg. 3001 while turning around at the flagpole and in the afternoons at Vance Gate, also known as Sooner Gate, when personnel are leaving for the day. Prior to the change, two taxis operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a single shuttle bus commuted between the Navy area, 552nd Air Control Wing and the dorms, making stops every hour.