Bus services look at safety as ridership increases

As Bloomington and campus bus systems continue to break ridership records, the campus bus service is working to maintain safety. \nBloomington has the second highest number of public bus passengers in the state thanks to the combination of campus and Bloomington Transit bus systems. The two systems have broken several records this semester.\n“We just finished the biggest month in our history,” said Lew May, Bloomington Transit general manager. “We’re really flying high. It’s a trend that’s been continuing for a number of years.”\nThis increase in ridership has caused some dangerous practices during peak hours. Students sometimes squeeze in front of the white line – the area between the driver and the door – to avoid waiting for another bus. This blocks a driver’s view to the right, said Campus Bus Services Operations Manager Perry Maull. \n“We’re not trying to be nasty by asking people to move back or not come aboard,” Maull said. “We really have to keep that area cleared. We can’t have students mashed up to the front window.” \nThis situation makes it difficult for bus operators to close doors safely, Maull said. \nJunior Leanna Gore said she has seen people closed in bus doors because of overcrowding. \n“At certain times the buses are so crowded the driver can’t see who’s getting off in the back,” Gore said. \nSeats have been removed in buses on the X route to increase standing capacity. About eight seats have been removed from the front of those buses, Maull said. The seats have been replaced with straps similar to those found on subway trains, he said. \n“That’s much better for \npeople getting on and off,” Maull said. “It’s better if you’re standing and holding on than trying to get in and out of a seat.” \nKent McDaniel, executive director of IU Transportation Services, said he has evaluated the safety of standing passengers on a number of occasions. \n“The dynamics of a car and bus crash are entirely different,” McDaniel said. \nWhen a bus hits something the passengers who are typically injured are in the other vehicle, McDaniel said. This is particularly true when buses are traveling at low speeds, McDaniel said. \nMcDaniel’s biggest safety concern is pedestrians and people on bicycles who do not obey traffic rules. He said he has seen bicyclists riding on sidewalks and pedestrians run out in front of vehicles. \n“It’s amazing to me we don’t have more accidents,” McDaniel said. \nMcDaniel said campus bus operators have a great record of safety and he’s proud of the job they do. \n“Having increased passengers doesn’t increase any risk I can see,” McDaniel said.