PAGE 6D
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
TRANSPORTATION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Courtesy makes bus travel a breeze
DEREK SKILLET
@derekskillett
Students walk to board the bus. It's important to know the bus routes and schedules to make the most of the transit system.
Whether it's 90 or 30 degrees outside, students will still huddle around the bus stops waiting for the bus.
ANDY LARKIN/KANSAN
Margretta de Vries, administrative professional for KU Parking and Transit, said more than 927,000 passengers were logged last year for Route 43 to Daisy Hill. That was just one of three bus routes that circulate campus.
With so many riders, buses are bound to slow their service as new students learn the system. To make the most of your own bus experience, make sure to follow these rules:
Know the bus routes: Bus route maps are listed at each bus stop on campus. They show a color-coded diagram of the bus routes that pass by the stop. Complete maps of all of the bus routes can be found in the KU Parking & Transit office near the Allen Fieldhouse Garage.
KNOW THE BUS SCHEDULES:
Bus schedules are typically posted alongside the bus route diagrams at bus stops.
Students can also find out when a bus is coming with a new text message system.
More information about the system can be found at lawencetransit.org. De Vries said that a new mobile app for iPhone and Android will be coming out in the next few weeks.
"It will be real-time bus location information. You tell it where you are, it tells you when the buses are coming. I think it's going to be awesome," de Vries said.
Knowing the bus schedule might also lighten the crowds that form around buses, making them operate more efficiently.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE TIME:
According to de Vries, bus traffic is heaviest between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and slowest around 4 p.m.
a senior majoring in German and Global and International Studies, put it very simply. "Move to the back of the bus if you're standing. No one likes it when the driver yells."
MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE BUS: This is simply common courtesy. Sara Anderson,
In addition to bus routes, the University also offers SafeBus and SafeRide services. SafeRide gives students a ride home from anywhere inside the city limits seven nights a week. SafeBus also gives rides home, but it operates on three fixed routes connecting campus.
downtown and student residential areas with the highest number of SafeRide rides. Both services are free to University students, but riders must have their KU ID cards. SafeRide passengers may also be required to provide proof of address, according to safebus.ku.edu.
Despite the ongoing construction, Jayhawk Boulevard will be open for bus travel by the time that school starts on Aug. 25.
— Edited by Paige Lytle
Wednesday, August 27
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Business Career Services Center
125 Summerfield
-Meet the BCSC Staff
-Pick up 2014 SOAR program booklet
-Learn about fall events and the career fair
-Free T-shirts and prizes
-Food and fun
KU BUSINESS CAREER SERVICES CENTER The University of Kansas
Want to work for social justice?
COURTNEY LAYTON
Sophomore from Olathe
The housing administration guarantees students academic support, convenience and safety, Warnelink said.
Housing trains its staff and residential aides to be knowledgeable about University services and resources and in helping students get connected to these services at the time a student would need them. Housing also has several academic service partners who bring their services to the halls.
The dorms also are a great source of convenience to students. Wamelink said there is no need for students living in residence halls to worry about dividing up rent or budgeting money for food as student housing is just one payment on the tuition and fee bill, which includes dining. The dorms are also on the University bus route and are in close proximity to all sorts of activities and events.
HOUSING
"Don't restrict yourself. If you want to try something new, do it. ... Living on campus gives you such great opportunities because you're in the center of it all."
There is no shortage of decisions to make for incoming freshmen in the months before officially becoming college students, yet one of the most pressing is deciding whether to live on campus or off campus.
Dorms provide opportunity, convenience
"It's an easier way to get to know the campus better and find your way around." Layton said. "It's a good opportunity to meet all different kinds of people. It's a lot of fun."
Courtney Layton, a sophomore from Olathe, said she would recommend living on campus because of the opportunities the dorms present. Had she not lived in Oliver Hall, Layton said she would not have met some of her best friends.
Jennifer Burlingham Wamelinck, associate director for residence life, said the dorms provide more than a chance to meet new people.
LIZ KUHLMANN
@LizKuhlmannUDK
Whether it is dashing from one class to another, joining a club or organization, or just hanging out with friends in the dorms, Layton said most students are kept fairly busy if they are not afraid to put themselves out there.
"Don't restrict yourself," Layton said. "If you want to try something new, do it. Don't limit yourself. If there is an opportunity for you to join a club or get an internship, take it. Living on campus gives you such great opportunities because you're in the center of it all."
"Through my dorm we had a lot of things going on like the Big Event, which is a big community service event that takes place in Lawrence," Layton said. "There are plenty of community service opportunities, especially through Greek life. There is also literally a club for everything. If there isn't, then you can start your own. There's always something going on; there's just so much to do."
Living on campus has its safety perks as well. Student housing has trained its staff in responding to situations and moments of crisis, and all staff members are knowledgeable about safety on campus. According to Wamelink, housing has collaborations with the University's public safety office on campus and also has cameras set up at entrances and exits to dorms.
According to Layton, it is incredibly easy to get involved at the University and in the dorms, so there is never a need to feel isolated or bored if a student is in Lawrence without their own means of transportation.
Edited by Casey Hutchins
Another common concern among first year students is transportation. While some students will arrive in Lawrence with a car of their own, both Layton and Wamelink said having no personal way to get around is absolutely no problem at all with the number of buses zigzagging through campus.
Most of my friends didn't have [a car]!" Layton said. "It's not a big deal at all. The buses have stops all over campus ... and you can ask a friend with a car for a ride."
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