The K-10 Connector’s overcrowded buses are making riders feel unsafe
By Betsy Cutcliff (Contact)
Thursday, September 4th, 2008
Alice Amrein, transportation director for Johnson County Transit, said the buses’ capacity of 83 people was being exceeded, and patrons had been forced to stand through the 45-minute ride.
Joe Custer, associate director of the Wheat Law Library, said he rode the K-10 Connector and didn’t feel safe standing for the duration of the ride.
“I’ve been standing several times, and usually you have to hold on with one hand because it’s so crowded,” he said. “When people stand near the front there is nothing to stop them from going through the windshield if the bus suddenly stops or wrecks.”
While crowded buses have been an issue among students this year, riders of the K-10 Connector said it was different because of the speed and distance the bus traveled.
Peter Northcott, Olathe junior, rides the K-10 Connector and said he did not feel safe because of the amount of highway travel on the bus.
“It’s over a 20-mile trip on K-10,” he said. “It’s just not safe.”
The K-10 Connector shuttles riders from Johnson County Community College and the KU Edwards Campus to Lawrence, traveling more than 28 miles total and going at speeds up to 70 miles per hour on Kansas Highway 10.
Amrein said the transportation department recognized the frustrations of the riders, and was working on a solution.
“We are looking at some options but they aren’t really immediate,” she said. “We’re talking to KU to see if they could potentially help with a couple of runs, but nothing has been finalized yet.”
Amrein said the amount of riders on the first day of classes was 87 percent higher than last year, from 502 riders on the fist day last August to 942 riders this August. She said that the daily average ridership rose 37 percent from last year.
In an online newsletter, Amrein attributed the increased ridership to the high cost of gas, and said she was working on acquiring new buses for the fleet.
K-10 Connector passes, which include ten rides, cost $15.
Riders on Wednesday’s 7:30 a.m. K-10 bus said the cost of passes made the bus appealing to them.
Amrein said the increased ridership also led to schedule delays, which made students late to class.
To help with overcrowding and delays, Amrein said she was also exploring changing the locations of the bus stops to speed up the transit.
- Edited by Jennifer Torline
Discussion
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Wow, the same problem that the KU buses are having!
This is every urban/transit planner's dream, but every commuter's nightmare. Full buses look great because people are actually using public transit again, but who wants to ride for 45 minutes standing up? I sure don't want to pay $2.50 to stand for that long.
Another question- could this bus route potentially pay for itself? Could the fare be increased a dollar and become profitable? There is an obvious need for people to get from Lawrence to Johnson County, Kansas City, Topeka, etc. People seem to be willing to put up with having to stand and pay $2.50 to ride to KC. Surely, someone could start up a private company that could provide transit service for the same cost and turn a profit. How much does a bus cost?
sjschlag, the thing is that the K-10 connector does pay for itself. It is part of the JO system. I think a increase is in order for the addition of more buses. I commend the Johnson Counties bus system for succeeding in the free market system where bus systems in Lawrence have failed. The fact is that the local bus company, MV transportation, lost the contract war to the JO for this project so I'm not sure how the school would be able to help unless an additional contract was drafted. These sorts of systems make more sense for students than they might for working class Americans as students are most likely more tight on funds and resources like cars. Plus this route just makes a lot of sense for someone like myself who made the commute to JCCC and KU for over a year and advocated for a connector.
First off- the K-10 Connector does not pay for itself. I believe it is funded by a 2 million dollar grant from the state of Kansas. That's why the fare to ride is so low ($2.50).
The reason that the city bus system loses money and does not succeed in the free market is because the distances covered are not great enough to turn a profit. People are not as willing to pay money to ride a bus 2 miles as they are 30 or 40 miles.
MV Transportation is not a local company, they are a national bus operations company. They did not bid agains the JO to operate the K-10 connector, they more than likely bid against Laidlaw/First Student, another bus operations company (you might be familiar with their school bus operations). The reason that Lawrence Transit or KU was not chosen to operate this was because we do not have the buses/money to provide this service, Johnson County does.
And your last point, about how working class americans are less likely to use bus services, is not true. Working class americans are feeling the hurt of higher gas prices like the rest of us. If Lawrence is to survive as a community, services like the K-10 connector will be necessary to keep people in the community.
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