Daily Tar Heel staff writer Zoe Schaver rode Chapel Hill Transit’s F route. She writes about her adventure in this edition of What’s All the Bus About.
Most commuters on the F route don’t ever encounter one demographic the bus caters to — kids.
Bright and early every weekday morning, while it’s still dark and before most adults need the bus, the F route picks up McDougle Middle School students and drops them off on Fayetteville Road at their environmentally friendly school.
And in the afternoon, for maybe half an hour, 20 or so rambunctious elementary schoolers fill the back of the bus with chatter as they travel from schools across the county to the Morehead Planetarium After School Program.
McDougle Middle School’s receptionist Dianne George, whose brother drives the F bus, said public transit is convenient for many families because both kids and parents can commute at the same time.
Assistant transit director Brian Litchfield said the bus used to stop at the school throughout the day, but officials decided it would be better for the bus only to go to the school at the beginning and end of the school day.
“We changed to the layover (away from the school) because that made it a little more of a challenge for kids who were, say, trying to leave school a little early without permission,” he said.
As for the after school program at the planetarium, Jeane’ Rowell, one of the program’s educators, said using the public bus is more a matter of principle rather than necessity.
Rowell said Morehead’s after school organization is trying to stick to a go-green program that will help kids in the science-based program learn about and understand environmental issues.
“We try to use transportation that’s provided for us,” she said.
Both the school and the planetarium have an eye toward the environment. The school’s campus features a school garden and informational displays on composting and waste management.
Rowell said kids in the planetarium’s program do science experiments including environmental science concepts.
The 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. program, which offers kids healthy snacks and runs all school year, is in high demand, Rowell said.
“It’s actually pretty hard to get into,” Rowell said. “But once you’re in, it’s great.”
As for riders of the F who are past grade school, many ride the bus because it’s the only convenient way to get around.
“It’s the only transportation I have,” Keith Morgan said. He said he takes the bus to the doctor, to the library and to Franklin Street, where he can connect to other routes — but the routes aren’t as convenient as they seem.
“What I don’t understand is why I have to walk down a huge hill to get to my doctor when I’m going to the doctor because I have problems with my leg,” he said.
Student Stores employee Megan Brannan said she has a car, but parking on campus is a nightmare.
“I have to leave my car and walk across campus,” she said. “(The town is) willing to call a tow truck just like that.”
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