Caught Watching Their Tailights: Bus Schedules Need Change

Jonathan Lavigne

News Editor

We have a problem on campus. No, not the parking problem, a topic that has been covered to death and will be covered again when it comes back from the dead next Fall. No, we have a problem for those of us who don’t get the opportunity to come to campus by our own means. Those of us who don’t get to argue over parking and stay for 20 minutes in our cars waiting for someone to leave because the three minute walk to the other lot is just murder. No the problem at hand concerns those of us who use public transportation.

Have you ever noticed that our classes usually finish around either 20 past the hour or 10 to the hour? Have you ever noticed at what times the buses are scheduled? Either they are scheduled for about 3 minutes after you leave class, giving you time to dump your stuff into your backpack or purse, whatever and make your merry way to the bus stop only to see it’s lights climbing up the hill. Why are the bus schedules so tight like that? When I talked to a bus driver about the situation he even agreed that buses should probably leave on the hour or half-hour, allowing student at least ten minutes to make their way across campus. When asked why he just didn’t do it he responded: “Against the regulations.“ It isn’t too bad when you class in the 1100, 1300 or even 1400 building. But 5 minutes from the VCT building or the 2900 building is more like a race than a walk. Not only that, but if you happen to make it to the corner as the bus is pulling out, 7 out of ten buses will keep on going. Bus driver Bob (his name isn’t really Bob but play along), says that it has to do with safety reasons. Safety? Your bus has pulled ahead by three feet. I would understand if the person tried to get on the bus between two stops on Aurora Ave or lower Greenwood, but safety?

I think it’s high time that the Seattle Metro Transit commission looks into revising the schedules it has for bus riders on campus. Especially now that more students are taking classes at night. Some have to rely on public transportation, and when they see the red lights going up the hill, they realize the next bus is in only an hour. Hail to the bus driver indeed…