INC NEWS - Editorial: Expanding buses into Durham a good move (Chronicle)

[John Schelp]

Editorial: Expanding buses into Durham a good move
Chronicle, 23 Jan 2007

So you want to go to Erwin Square apartments to visit
some friends, but you live in Edens Quadrangle and you
don't have a car. You're looking at a half-hour
commute at least, with a walk to the bus stop, a ride
to East Campus and a walk from the bus stop to Ninth
Street. And it's not much easier to call and take a
cab, or to wait on Safe Rides or Charlene's.

But have no fear; soon you will be able to hop on a
bus and arrive at some of the most popular Durham
destinations around the Duke campus.

After years of students talking about expanding the
Duke University Transit bus service off campus, new
routes to Ninth Street and Brightleaf Square will
finally launch in a pilot program this Thursday.

Duke Student Government should be commended for
finally following through on an idea that is likely be
very popular with students, based on expressed need
and interest.

Citing student safety and bridging some of the Duke-
Durham divide as potential benefits of the program,
student leaders have finally delivered a practical
solution that will provide students with another way
to access the city around them. Truly, offering
students a consistent option for getting off campus
and around Durham reduces the temptation to drive once
they've had a drink (or far too many), thus placing
themselves and others in danger. Moreover, the bussing
program has the potential to allow more students
regular access to local businesses-an apparent plus
for town-gown relations.

DSG also gets points for starting the service as a
pilot program, instead of jumping in with long-term,
full-service (not to mention expensive) plans. Such an
immediate, complete program would run the risk of
wasting money without leaving room for working out
kinks in the system.

But as this pilot program goes forward and is
evaluated in the next three weeks, those assessing its
success should also realize that the upcoming period
of the semester is not necessarily the ideal time to
start, and thus fairly assess, the initiative. With
the onset of personal tenting checks in K-ville,
pledging and semi-formals galore, students may demand
the bus service less than they would at another time
in the year. 

Additionally, it might take students a little while to
learn how the bus system works and to trust that it is
reliable and on time-all adding up to what could
appear to be less interest than DSG and the
administration hopes. To help ameliorate this
potential problem, the onus is on DSG to publicize the
availability and details of the service to students.

Indeed, it's important to note that even if the buses
aren't full all the time, it is still undoubtedly a
worthwhile initiative, and one this board hopes to see
perpetuated in the future. Just as the Robertson bus
is not always packed with students, it still serves
the practical and symbolic purpose of connecting the
campuses of Duke and the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. Similarly, this new bus route will
physically and symbolically connect members of the
Duke community with greater Durham.

In combination with other auxiliary services
connecting Duke and the surrounding community (such as
the expansion of Safe Rides to off- campus housing
locations) this new program is a positive step toward
making Durham more accessible and safe for Duke
students. Let's hope it's a success.