Students frustrated by changes to bus routes

Although Duke Parking and Transportation Services reformed the bus system in the hopes of improving its efficiency, students have criticized the new system since its debut.

Students expressed concern and frustration over the prolonged waiting time and confusion caused by the changes, which were implemented at the start of the Fall. Notable among the changes were the removal of the C2 service that circuited between West, East and Central Campus and the addition of the C4—connecting Central to West—and the C5—connecting Central to East. Many students have questioned the new routes, which were added based on PTS-led analyses of passenger transit data.

“It hasn’t really fixed much because the Central bus is still pretty horrible to catch,” junior Sanmi Oyenuga wrote in an email. “Wait time is ridiculous, especially in the evening.”

Freshman JaBria Bishop said her patience was tested by one of her first experiences with Duke buses.

“The CCX works fine as far as I’m concerned, but one day I was waiting for the C5, and it never came,” Bishop said. “I had to take a C1 and walk all the way to Student Health myself. That was a really big disappointment.”

Upperclassmen who experienced difficulty with the previous bus system are also critical of the changes.

“The new Central buses are even more infrequent than the old [C2],” senior Chaarushi Ahuja said. “Overall, it’s now even more difficult to get to class on time. If I want to take the bus to get to Central, I have to budget extra time for the travel. In my experience, having just one C4 running between West and Central has made the commute harder, and walking is now the preferred option.”

During weekdays, the C4 runs between West and Central Campus in 15-minute intervals, and the C5 travels between East and Central Campus in 20-minute intervals.

Another issue that has contributed to wait times has been the large crowds that regularly form at the East and West bus stops. As part of the new bus system, the C1X—which bypassed Campus Drive stops to directly connect East and West—was discontinued.

Although many blame increased waiting times on the recent changes, Duke bus driver Ron Jones noted that the buses are crowded every year regardless of which route they serve.

“Usually at the beginning of the year, we have a lot of students that haven’t exactly figured out where they’re going yet, or what time they need to be there, or what bus they need to catch,” Jones said. “But usually as they settle in and they get to know what they’re doing, the crowds dwindle down a little bit. And we also have extra buses running to help take care of it.”

In response to the negative reaction to the new system, Duke Student Government—which originally worked with PTS to institute the changes—is currently lobbying for improvements and asking for student feedback.

Recently, DSG broadcasted a petition of the present transportation system in an attempt to identify which aspects need to be changed. Options for student input include whether an additional C4 should be added and whether PTS should revert to the old system.

Senior Keizra Mecklai, the president of Duke Student Government, will meet with administration on Thursday to discuss student concerns about the buses.

Junior Annie Adair, DSG chief of staff, noted that the frustration may ultimately be short-lived.

“There is a concern within PTS that last week could have been an anomaly because it was the first week of classes and many people were getting used to their new schedules,” Adair said. “You wonder how much of the rush is the first week and how much is a problem with the underlying system. Maybe, in two weeks, we realize it was an anomaly—but maybe it wasn’t.”

Zaynah Alam and Alex Griffith contributed reporting.