Unconsidered
benefits of riding the bus
(And
hidden costs of not)
Being new to Centre County I was surprised by the
limited scope that bus services offer between Penns Valley and the bustling
State College community. But after riding to work for a year aboard the efficient,
but thinly spread transport system Centre County offers Centre Hall, I gathered
a few observations about why this must be.
*
My fellow passengers pointed out that our county
commissioners have long sought to expand Penns Valley ride services. But our
transport managers believe this won’t work when they’ve conducted feasibility tests
and discussions, because commuters quite enjoy the freedom of driving their own
cars and have tight schedules to keep. Driving one’s own car may lead to a
strong feeling of independence, but I wonder how many of these commuters have
conducted their own feasibility studies?
*
For instance, how much do you think you’ve invested
in your own vehicle maintenance, bodywork and upkeep over these last decades?
Fuel costs and insurance? Moving
violations, parking tickets and fees? Car depreciation costs? And what about
folks who gamble driving home after some relaxing after-work drinks? And what then
if they crash into some body? That shaky decision can prove to be more costly
than the value of a new car.
*
Besides these often unconsidered price factors, people
who choose mostly not to ride buses, miss out on other enhancements: It has
erased our road rage. We create time to get to know each other better, and
discuss community issues. We can take quick power naps. We listen to
educational recordings and music playlists through earbuds. Without distraction,
we conduct business and make personal phone calls. We daily riders experience
freedoms of cloud watching & daydreaming. We make book annotations, puzzling
riddles with gag prizes; share go-to jokes, solve crosswords and other
mindbenders.
*
Other frequent treats we share in our merry commute
include, creative poetry writing, seasonal songs in unison, catchy limericks
rehearsed and bus Haiku’s spoken. Spring brings colorful photo opportunities
with wildlife watching. Just today two passengers smiled while sharing stories
about their recent bear encounters. Overall, this multitude of options gives
riders chances to develop our characters more fully; and more so doable when compared
with traveling alone in a car. Moreover, many bus services provide convenient
aps, which indicate if particular buses are running on schedule. On rare
occasions when a bus breaks down, fresh drivers soon appear with relief buses. If
additional commuters decide they want to be part of the traffic-jam and pollution
solutions by taking the bus, the higher demand will create the possibility for
expanded bus routes with frequenter stops.
*
Provo, Utah’s Transit Authority encouraged more
riders by making its bus free for a while, which increased its ridership
fivefold in its first month of the new rapid transit route between Provo and
Orem. Most riders quickly become more comfortable with using buses after simply
going through the ritual of trying it out a few times. We, too, can make similar improvements here, around
our cutting-edge college town, when more of us do decide to become part of the
solution in this ongoing challenge.
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