To: Whatcom County Bus Riders

From: Western Student

Date: November 18, 2015
Subject: A Students Proposal on Reducing the Frequency of Bus Arrival
Delays

Dear Whatcom County Bus Riders,

One of the attractive points about choosing Western Washington University
as my home for the next four years was that a public bus transportation
existed up here. The Whatcom Transit Authority boasts an impressive 31
routes that operate daily and run in 15 minute intervals. As someone who did
not bring her car up, having the bus service available has been a godsend.
However, through my experiences on the bus, a pressing concern has
surfaced that I feel is of high significance to all of you, the bus riders: the
buses irregular arrival times at stops. As a frequent bus rider, this is very
discouraging from riding the bus.
Take Note of this Problem
Every single one of usthe passengersare the sources of this issue. Bus
riders and their personal problems, regardless of how miniscule it is, can
cause a delay in a routes schedule. It triggers a chain reaction of making the
both the bus and its passengers tardy in their schedules.
A striking example that really hit home for me and potentially happens
frequentlytook place about three weeks ago. It was a chilly Sunday evening
when the bus I was sitting in was at a standstill at a stop. A boarding
passenger took over two minutes digging through their wallet to find enough
coins to pay the rider fee. Although I had no immediate plans, my neighbor
next to me did. Those two minutes made them become increasingly stressed
that they would not be able to make it to their appointment on time.
Now, using the bus in this context could be considered inappropriate. The
bus is not a thing that has control over its own functions and happenings.
The bus itself is not at fault. It is a thing, a place. As Lynn Staeheli, a
geography professor at the University of Durham, would argue, the bus is a
place that is a social process that is always becoming (Staeheli 162). In other
words, the bus constitutes a realm where its members, riders and the driver,
interact with each other with the shared goal of reaching a final destination.

It is definitely arguable that because a bus operates on the road, its

timeliness is subjected to the mercy of the street. However, in an interview I
conducted with a WTA bus driver, who was insistent I call him Kevin, I was
surprised to find something else.
[Me] It isnt uncommon for buses to be late arriving at stops in areas where
there is a high amount of traffic, such as urban cities and metropolitans.
Bellingham, although its population is over 80,000, doesnt exactly have the
traffic that matches those of urban areas. Is this true?
[Kevin] There is traffic here, not as much as cities like Seattle, Id say. We try
to plan for traffic by adding an extra minute in between stops.
[Me] Does that extra minute make a difference during, say, after work hours?
[Kevin] No. Theres more cars on the road at the time.
[Me] So then what is it that causes the WTA buses to be late, if traffic is not
as influential?
[Kevin] Probably the riders. Its not our [the drivers] fault. I like to stick
straight to my routes schedule, but once the bus starts moving, you dont
know what can happen with [the passengers]. Its the small things that
makes the route late.
I agree with Kevin. He brings up a point most of us, the bus riders, tend to
missthat our individual bus problems effects not only ourselves, but that
buss entire community. While the bus driver does play a small degree of
responsibility in the buss tardinessthey do man the vehicle, after allit is
not wholly their fault. At the minimum, their job is to pick up, drop off, and
drive people to their intended destinations.
Its the Little Things that Makes a Difference
I propose a change. Personal passenger problems (or PPP, as I have lovingly
dubbed it) that pose a risk of potentially delaying a bus routes schedule can
definitely be avoided. Every passenger has the ability to combat this through
having foresight before boarding the bus.
If you recognize ahead of time that you need $1.00 for bus fee, take a few
seconds from your own personal time to respond to this. Alert the driver prior
to reaching your stop so that he knows you will take some time dismounting
your bike from the rack. Little instances like these cost you almost nothing,
and you will benefit by thoroughly eliminating stress from both your life and
others. Passengers waiting down the route line for the bus to arrive on time
will indirectly thank you for it.

However, if you are in a situation where you really cannot take out $1.00 in
advance or notify the bus driver beforehand, then you cannot do anything
about it. The ideal case, though, would be to be prepared and ready to go as
many times as you can. We as human beings are not perfect people, I
wouldnt expect every rider to go without one small hiccup.
Rider Psychology 101
While the WTA is a public service funded by taxes and government grants, it
is ultimately funded by rider satisfaction opinion. By electing to ride the bus,
riders know that they are signing up for a longer travel time. They are
signing up to potentially be surrounded by strangers. They inherently give up
control of their own personal motion and direction. Riders give up these
luxuries, of which they couldve enjoyed through a car, for the down points of
riding the bus.
For some people, they ride the bus out of choice. They can afford an
alternate mode of transportation, they simply chose not to. The biggest
reason why they stick to the bus is its reliability. They have confidence in the
bus getting them to where they need to get in a timely fashion. But when the
bus is late frequently, that reliability drops and their inclination to ride the
bus ceases. Passengers begin to turn their backs on riding the bus, leaving
the transit agency with no other choice but to respond with cutting or
reducing routes. The victims who eventually pays the price laid down by
others are the ones who are, in fact, heavily dependent on the bus routes,
and cannot afford another option.
Lets Fight PPP
Im glad I decided this past spring to officially attend Western Washington
University and move up here. I like the community, I like the school, and I
like how the buses save me from spending gas money. I have confidence in
them for taking me to my final destination. What I am not confident in,
though, is if the bus will arrive on time, or if it has been waylaid by the
personal problems of others. If it happens once or twice, I can tolerate it. But
having to constantly adjust my schedule for the sake of others and their lack
of insight is frustrating.
While this problem may seem insignificant, its consequences effects a wider
sphere of people in the long run. Respect the bus community, its passengers
and driver, by taking some minutes out of your own time to prepare in
advance. The bus riding experience will be far more satisfactory for us all.
Thank you,
A Western Student.