We need more buses

I like fresh air and exercise as much as the next person. Walking 20-plus minutes to class every day might not be the easiest thing in the world, but it’s certainly healthy.

But there are days it’s even healthier to take the bus.

When the temperature dropped to single digits last week, I dreaded the thought of getting out of my nice, cozy bed and stepping out into the cold.

I looked longingly at the bus stop as I trudged to Ballantine. What stopped me from joining the multitudes and huddling under the meager shelter, awaiting the D bus?

The D bus made me late to my first class of the semester.

The Union Street/Eigenmann bus stop is pretty far from classes, and that particular day, it was snowy and wet and messy. It made sense to stay put and hop on the bus instead of trudging to class. My friends and I had looked up the bus time, and we were out there in time to catch it.

Only, it never came.

We never learned what happened to the bus that was supposed to be there, but the one that showed up was 20 minutes late — and by the time we realized our bus wasn’t coming, it was too late to walk to class. I was late anyway, but by then, I had no choice.

Then there was the humiliating walking-into-class-after-it-started conga, during which I had to walk from the door to the only seat available, at the front of the class, with everyone staring — and the professor was trying to learn everyone’s names, so by the time I sat down, she knew who I was. At least she was nice about it (thanks, Professor Shopkow).

I stopped taking the bus after that.

For years, I’ve felt the resentment of those on the D/E route. Every bus that rolls by, it seems, is an A bus, with a few Bs interspersed. In fact, based on that handy online bus follower on the IU Campus Bus website, there are more A buses than B, D and E combined.

By the way they fill up quickly, I gather they’re needed (hey, I wouldn’t want to walk up that hill in nasty weather). But with the new Union Street apartments in addition to all the other Central and South-East dorms, there are more people than ever. The E bus comes from the Everman apartments and is already full when it hits Eigenmann, and it doesn’t even run to Willkie Quad anymore.

We need more D and E buses. I’m not suggesting we take some away from the A route — like I said, it’s clear they need all those buses — but we should add a couple extra ones, especially during the day, when tens of thousands of people are trying to get to classes.

Yes, there are city buses we can (sometimes) take. But that can be more trouble than it’s worth. Everyone knows (or learns quickly) where the 6 and 9 buses go (not to Wilkie), but the other routes are largely unfamiliar.

And just because it says “campus bus” doesn’t mean it actually goes to much of campus.

Besides, the city buses shouldn’t be concerned about ferrying students across campus; that’s not their job. IU needs to man up and do its job: Provide adequate transportation for students.

And if the school is so insistent about students making use of Bloomington Transit, provide some info. Don’t just drop it on us that routes are changing. Advertise. Make students more aware of what Bloomington buses they should take — and which buses will just take them in a big circle and then deposit them right back at the same stop they got on at.

IU students are IU’s responsibility. We have a large bus system. Let’s make use of it — and make sure all students, no matter where they are on campus, have adequate access.



E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu