They pick students up, drive in below-freezing weather and ultimately make sure that students at Grand Valley State University get from point A to point B. Bus drivers are an integral part of the GVSU community.

In 2000, the Rapid bus service, which is part of the Interurban Transit Partnership, was formed as a public transportation system. Providing services within the metro Grand Rapids area, part of the Rapid’s 28 fixed routes include GVSU’s Allendale and Pew campuses.

Nancy Slater has been a bus driver for the Rapid for the last seven years. She indicated that her favorite part of being a bus driver for the Rapid is seeing all of the student passengers on her bus.

“Students are my average customers, and they are polite. They always say ‘thank you’ and ‘please,’” Slater said. “It’s fun to just drive and just listen to the student’s conversations, because you hear some funny stories and they try to get me involved with my opinions. It is nice to be part of the students’ lives and get recognized for that.”

Slater drives between the two GVSU campuses on Tuesday through Friday. Part of her responsibilities are that she tells passengers when the next stops are, answer questions about bus schedules and also deal with unruly passengers. She also assists disabled passengers get on and off the bus.

There are some challenges with being a bus driver, such as long hours, sitting for much of the day and not that much free time to spend with families, but as long as there is patience and respect involved toward the passengers, then everything will be fine, Slater said.

“When everything is really icy, driving back and forth from campus out there is very challenging, but with a car you have to be very cautious,” she said. “Slow your speed down, you’ve got all these students on your bus, and I just take my time as I am not going to be in a hurry, we might be a bit late, but at least they are arriving safe.”

She also talked about some of the initiatives that the Rapid is planning on taking.

“The Laker Line is going to be like the Silver Line, a non-stop bus that is going to be basically Grand Valley,” Slater said. “I’m not sure where it is going to start, from Kirkhof to Lafayette, Michigan and around, but that is in the works right now and so is the idea of double-decker buses, which is pretty cool.”

Hayley Bracken, GVSU junior and frequent bus rider, said that her experience with the Rapid and the bus drivers has been a positive one.

“I know that this is their job and they are getting paid for it, but I like seeing them and them actively being nice to us students,” Bracken said. “It’s their job, but I give them a lot of props driving and dropping us off and that’s why I always say thank you when I get off the bus, because I am thankful and appreciate it.”

For more information about the Rapid’s bus routes and times, visit www.ridetherapid.org.