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One rainy day during my freshmen year, I experienced the full wrath of Northern California winter. I found myself walking a mile to class in a torrential maelstrom of hail and slanting rain – an unfortunate circumstance that would please nobody but the most indulgent masochists.
This not being the case, getting caught in a hail storm was not my intention. Acting on the advice of the university, I did not bring my car to school — so I had to take the bus.
I’ve been riding the city bus to class since seventh grade, so I didn’t give it a second thought. However, I had never ridden a bus in Chico and didn’t know what I was in for.
The problem with public transportation in Chico is that the buses are often late, overcrowded or simply don’t show up at all. As a consequence, the public transportation system in Chico is failing the people who need it most.
Students, particularly incoming freshmen who rely on buses for free transportation since the university advises them not to bring their cars to campus, are often left waiting at bus stops in dismay.
It’s hard to believe that a bus could just not appear at the scheduled stop, but it’s quite common. Students wind up waiting for the next bus, confused and irritated, often missing class, work or whatever obligation they were trying to get to.
There’s the obvious problem that students aren’t getting to where they need to go – imagine if you were late to or missed a final just because the bus didn’t show up. But the issue also damages the Chico spirit of conservation.
Carpooling or taking the bus is better for the environment, but how can we expect students not to drive when the only reliable and consistent aspect of the alternative is how flaky, late and unpleasant it is?
If this continues for much longer, people are just going to get tired of it. More and more students will start bringing their cars and driving to class, perpetuating the cycle of dense traffic and sparse parking downtown.
I’m generally one for accepting our responsibilities as students – issues are almost never one-sided or cut and dry. But this time, I think we’re in the clear.
The bus companies have an obligation to make their buses run on time and to have enough seats for all patrons at each stop. If they can’t make this happen, customers need to go elsewhere.
I don’t think there’s a simple solution to this problem. The bus companies either need to get their act together and have buses arrive at all of their schedules stops, or students need an alternative.
A potential solution is student busing similar to Craig Hall’s system. However, this would require substantial funds and in this economic climate, don’t hold your breath.
The best thing for students to do is ride bicycles, skateboards or walk whenever possible. It’s better for the environment, it’s better for you and it’s better for the town. If you absolutely have to drive, try to carpool by riding with a friend. It cuts down on emissions and it can be more fun.
Whatever you do, don’t rely on public transportation if you have somewhere important to be, at least not until things get better. If you do, you’ll probably wind up like me – another sad, soaked sap trudging through puddles, wishing you hadn’t trusted the bus.
James Jelenko can be reached at
jjelenko@theorion.com
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