The Spectrum commends UB Transportation’s decision to bring back weekend night busing.
At the beginning of the semester, UB Transportation Services announced that it was eliminating the weekend “drunk bus” in an effort to deter disruptive partying in University Heights. The decision was made without student input and students were angry and concerned.
For the first four weeks of the fall semester, there was no official university transportation between North and South Campuses, leaving South Campus residents who worked or studied on North Campus potentially stranded.
The reasoning behind the decision was understandable—University Heights residents were sick and tired of drunk and disorderly students destroying their property, throwing bricks in windows and disrupting residents’ quality of life.
But completely eliminating all weekend night busing without student input was the wrong approach.
Following this decision, concerned student leaders pleaded with administrators and opened up a dialogue with University Heights residents. The fact that the university responded to the diligent activism of students on this issue shows that student voices matter, and the university takes students concerns seriously.
However, this conversation should have happened before the buses were eliminated in the first place. Students should always have a seat at the table in decisions that impact us. Had this conversation happened before the semester started, students would not have been potentially placed in harm’s way while the administration, students and University Heights residents debated the issue.
The decision to introduce a small shuttle bus that seats a maximum of 28 students is an ideal compromise; it gives students who live on South Campus who are working and studying on North Campus a safe ride home, while deterring partiers. It takes into account the concerns of both students and community members, and is a great step in improving university/community relations.
It also shows that UB administration is willing to listen to student voices. This decision sets several positive precedents; it highlights the importance of students advocating for issues they believe in. It shows that our voices matter. It demonstrates that students can stand up and truly make a difference in our university community. It also shows that compromise can be achieved in the historically strained relations between UB students and University Heights residents.
The Spectrum is pleased to see the UB administration finally showing in actions rather than just empty rhetoric that they care about students and take our concerns seriously. We hope to see this trend continue.
