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Monday, July 11, 2016
Northern Star
815-753-5606 H @NIUNorthernStar H NorthernStar.info/Opinion
Perspective
New Pokemon Go app is becoming extremely popular
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Faith Mellenthin | Northern Star
What improvements would you want made to the DeKalb/NIU Transit system? On June 22, a request was proposed for a transit development plan for the DeKalb/Sycamore area transportation study at a DeKalb city council meeting.
Jay Ibarra Scene Editor
Christopher Loggins Editor in Chief
Madison Kacer News Editor
A new plan to re-analyze our transportation services could be just what this campus needs after hearing about the recent spark in the prices for parking permit passes. I personally would like to see our NIU transit reach greater amounts of places on campus, with infrequent stops — which would mean, rerouting. There has to be smarter ways to efficiently get buses around. Sometimes, I will be walking to class and watching several busses stall at the Holmes Student Center, yet I can never catch a bus near Reavis Hall — why? This meeting to talk about improvements is a great start to getting more students feeling that they are cared for on campus, can have their voices heard, and are getting the most out of their experience here. I might not get to a new plan be implemented in my time here, but I hope vast improvements are ahead.
Although I feel like the transit systems for DeKalb and NIU are pretty reliable, I definitely feel as though they could use some improvements. One adjustment I think needs to be made is how the bus stops are presented, for both NIU buses and DeKalb buses. The bus stop signs aren’t very noticeable, and are sometimes in weird spots. The area would benefit from having improved locations. Also, some of the buses should probably run more often. Sometimes missing one bus may make you extremely late to class/work because they aren’t coming very frequently. Some buses come every 15-20 minutes, but sometimes you may not see a bus pass a stop for nearly an hour. This forces people to have to walk and rush to their destinations and risk jobs/grades simply due to missing one bus. They shouldn’t be coming every five minutes, but often enough so that things can run more smoothly.
Being my licenseless self, I rely pretty heavily on NIU’s public transit services. After using the buses at least three days a week for an entire semester, I’ve developed quite the relationship with them. I must say, I don’t have too much to complain about. I have a bus stop extremely close to my apartment, so on the frigid winter days, I don’t have to brave the cold for too long. This seems to be the case for most people, from what I’ve observed: a bus stop in very reasonable walking distance from their homes. This is a total plus. However, I have noticed one thing that is not the norm for all bus stops: some form of shelter. I have a roof over my head while waiting for the bus in extreme weather, but other people are not so lucky. These shelters are an absolute must, especially dealing with the unpredictable Illinois weather. Other than that, when it comes to NIU transit, I’m a pretty happy camper.