"Traveling Students" by Jeff Bissell

The University of Georgia campus is composed of six hundred and fifteen acres with three hundred and thirteen buildings. (Quick facts about UGA) This extensive amount of area cause many problems for students. The extreme acreage makes it difficult for students to get from class to class on time while hauling around books. Driving to class on the campus is not an option due to the quantity of students. The university decided they had to take action against this problem before the campus expanded and the enrollment increased. The solution was a bus system to transport students around campus without causing a traffic buildup. The idea of a transit system was put into place in September 1996 and continues to save students’ valuable time and energy (Ron Hamlin). Starting as a small transportation unit, the transit system at the University of Georgia helps students travel across campus on time while conserving their energy, and is able to accompany all types of people keeping our environment clean.
The bus system that we take for granted today was once an extremely small and slow working fleet. The original fleet was four US Army surplus buses that cost 5 cents per ride (Hamlin). It is hard to believe this fact seeing how many busses are on Georgia’s campus as of now. Their ability to transport numerous amounts of students at once makes getting to class easier then ever. Not only has the system grown in quantity, but also in quality by serving those who are handicap. Ron Hamlin has this to say about the new fleet, “The fleet has significantly grown from its beginning years to forty-seven buses and five vans to support any person with a handicap.” This fact should make students at the university feel proud because there is an excessive amount of busses to help able students but the bus transit also helps the disabled. Our university is able to serve and make everyone on campus have an easier day because of the bus system.
With this many buses helping a large quantity of people daily, gas and pollution are a concern for many. This buses run continuously throughout the day and a few during the night. During these long hours buses are burning fuel constantly sending fumes into the atmosphere. To ease minds red and black quotes Ron Hamlin on the buses fuel B20 that is composed of biodiesel, “Biodiesel is good for the environments and good for the economy, and we’re glad to be using it.” (University of News Service) This eliminates all criticism about the transit system. It is able mass transport students over campus without hurting the environment. This major plus helps students who must have the bus transit to travel across campus and could not afford for the busses to shut down because of pollution.
Evan, my roommate, is extremely proud and grateful for all that the bus transit does for the students on campus. When asked about he bus system, he has this to say, “You know, I can’t always make it from one side of campus to the other in time for my classes. But, I can just get on the North-South and make it to my class. Also, the bus system helps me save energy and health. I had a severe case of scoliosis in high school, and I am not able to walk with my backpack on for very long or my back begins to severely ache.” This is perfect case where the bus system is able to help a student in need because of health issues. The bus transit saves Evan time and enables him to get through the day with minimal pain.
Since the bus system has been put into action, many other schools have followed. Though, Georgia was not the first to use busses I believe that other school, Alabama, uses busses now because of the great success it has at the University of Georgia. UGA students may take the bus transit for granted because it has been around for over a decade, but it greatly eases the worries of students trying to converse around campus and should never be overlooked. With the University of Georgia’s size, it would be nearly impossible for school to function correctly without the transit system in place. Students should always make sure they understand how the transit makes mobility around campus as painless as possible everyday just for them.















Bibliography
Hamlin, Ron. “2006-2007 Face Sheet.” Campus Transit. 26 July 2006. http://www.transit.uga.edu/facts.html
“Quick Facts about UGA” The University of Georgia. 29 October 2007. http://www.uga.edu/profile/facts.html
University of News Service. “University buses switch to biodiesel blend.” Red and Black 23 April 2007.