Bus stop change hangs riders out to dry

I have been riding the VIA bus to UTSA for 10 years as a student and as faculty. I considered myself lucky to have a bus service that took me from my home to the building where I studied and now work.

Now, I am trying to find out why UTSA is "fixing something that was not broken." I am referring to the change of location of the VIA bus stop from inside the parking Lot 3 to Margaret Tobin Avenue.

I called the Parking and Transportation office, the President's office and VIA in order to find out the reason.

From VIA, I learned it was UTSA's decision. I finally contacted the Transportation Manager of Parking and Transportation Services who informed me UTSA thinks this is the perfect solution to the heavy traffic in Lot 3.

Does that traffic really exist since it is mainly used by faculty and staff?

Well, that answer is not convincing because the UTSA shuttle still enters Lot 3, creating traffic congestion. Also, when students are picked up by private vehicles they create more traffic than when the VIA stop was there. I counted seven cars parked by the curb one day.

The new VIA stop is in a VERY BUSY thoroughfare and is very dangerous. The buses create a problem for the drivers using that road. Also, the constant and heavy traffic is a safety hazard when buses start moving.

Are we waiting until a bad accident to set things straight again?

Another reason given is that "when put in context the distance from the new stop on Margaret Tobin Avenue to the nearest campus building is well within a normal distance for pedestrians on campus."

Has anybody with a reserved parking space walked in the rain that distance? I have, with an umbrella. When I arrived home, I had to throw the clothes I was wearing into the dryer.

I have talked to a lot of students and ALL agree that the new location of the VIA stop is not acceptable. They ALL also agree that the distance to the nearest campus building may be very well within a normal walking distance. When it rains, that same normal distance becomes abnormal.

Who wants to sit in class with wet clothes and catch a cold?

I have also talked to the VIA drivers. At the old stop, they had time to use one of the restrooms at UTSA. Now, if they walk all the way to one of the buildings, the long distance between stop and buildings makes them not to be able to meet the bus schedule.

I urge anybody and everybody who rides the VIA bus and does not like the new stop location to COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN. Write letters to everybody you can think of, including our UTSA President. Somebody has to listen!

It is our university and we have the right to an answer and a LOGICAL explanation of why the stop has been changed. So far, no one has given it. The only two positive solutions that are offered is: a shelter will be provided for the passengers while they wait and a survey is being conducted to ensure that the long route to the new stop is appropriately lighted.

The only way this would be appropriate is if it covers the whole distance from the stop to the closest campus building!

Gilberta H. Turner

Lecturer

Dept. of Modern Languages and

Literatures