Headline: Making the most of your bus ride

Courtesy of GVSU Transportation Services

Transportation Services at Grand Valley State University and The Rapid provide free transportation on and between campuses for faculty, staff and students. The system operates as a fixed-route, scheduled service. Service is scheduled to have the maximum number of buses going between campuses at peak times. Here are some tips for making the most of your bus trip:

Overcrowding: At peak times, the buses will be overcrowded. Plan to leave earlier at those times and expect crowded conditions. Our buses are designed to hold standees equal to the seating capacity. When boarding a fully loaded bus, standees should move to the rear of the bus to allow additional passengers to board.

Laws require that no passengers stand in front of the line marked on the floor of the bus to ensure that the driver has a clear view and to protect passengers in the case of a sudden stop. When loading a bus, the driver will determine when the bus has reached its capacity, even though it may seem to passengers that more space is available.

Boarding and exiting the bus: Passengers should be waiting at the bus stop prior to the scheduled times. Buses will pick up passengers only at the designated bus stops. Passengers boarding the bus should use the front door. Passengers getting off should use the rear door. Using the front door to exit the bus interferes with the passengers boarding and paying the fare and will slow down the boarding process. This will in turn cause the bus to run behind schedule, inconveniencing all the other passengers on board.

Be attentive of your destination. Do not ring the bell prior to the bus stop before your desired destination. Whenever possible, wait until the bus has turned onto the street where your stop is located. Only one ring of the bell is necessary to alert the driver that you want to get off at the next stop. After exiting the bus, do not cross or stand in front of the bus. This will keep the bus from leaving the stop and will delay other passengers. Wait until the bus leaves the stop before crossing the street.

A moving vehicle is always dangerous, especially a large bus. Never run alongside a moving bus or pound on the side to get the driver’s attention. Once a bus starts moving, the driver will not stop to pick up additional passengers. Large crowds often wait at the bus stops. It is dangerous to press toward an oncoming bus while it is still moving. Persons in front may be forced into the path of the bus.