Letters to the Editor: Winter holidays complicate transportation situation

Like many others this holiday season, I had problems with the campus bus service during term break. On Dec. 23, the 7:30 Central bus never came, so I waited in the cold for 30 minutes, wondering if in fact the 8 a.m. bus would come (it did). Careful to determine bus schedules before the break began, I checked the website, called Duke transportation and checked with bus drivers (who radioed into headquarters for me). I was explicitly told that although there would be no East-West buses, the Central bus would run every 30 minutes from 7:30 a.m. until early evening, except for Christmas Day and New Years Day. On the morning of Dec. 23, a bus driver informed me that in fact there would be no central bus on Dec. 24 or 31. Holiday plans are sometimes made around the ability to get to work, and although Dec. 24 and 31 are university holidays, they are not Medical Center holidays.

Since I am expected to be at work, I expect to be provided, if not with transportation, then certainly with accurate information when I seek it out. It is extremely important that plans be clear, coordinated, communicated and kept. Understan-dably, someone might miss a morning route, but someone else should be keeping tabs to replace a missing driver, so that people do not stand in the cold for 30 minutes.

I volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House and so sometimes use the bus stop on Campus Drive between Oregon and Alexander, which, being on an incline, is like a wading pool. I appreciate the hard work that our bus drivers do and would like to see transportation services support both the drivers and riders in our safe, reliable endeavors to get to work and school.

On a separate and positive note, I would like to commend those wonderful drivers who stuck it out on Wednesday, Dec. 4 as the storm hit, making sure that students got back to their respective campuses and employees got as close to home as possible. I would also like to thank Billy, who was an important part of my work day during the early part of the break, when, before his own vacation, he ensured that those of us who rely on East-West service were able to get to work.

Melissa Free Administrative Assistant School of Medicine