Every student has had it happen: He or she waits at a stop for the Blue Loop for 10 minutes only to find the next bus is too full to board.
At its annual public hearing on Thursday, the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) discussed the possibility of correcting this problem by making changes to alleviate overcrowding at the Allen Street stop in front of Old Main and the Pattee Library stop.
General Manager Hugh Mose said CATA is considering reconfiguring certain routes to achieve this goal.
Though overcrowding has been an issue for years, it's encouraging to see CATA trying to take positive steps to handle the issue.
The fact that it is targeting specific stops shows that it has carefully considered student feedback and is doing its best to respond in turn.
The services CATA offers are already extremely beneficial to students, and meeting demand at these stops is a big step in the right direction.
That being said, students need to be careful not to abuse the service. Refrain from riding the White Loop from East Halls to the Forum, and consider walking short distances instead of relying on CATA to accommodate laziness.
Bus etiquette will help too -- listen to the driver when he or she asks you to move back so more students can squeeze in, and if you can't fit behind the yellow line, then wait for the next bus rather than forcing the driver to make you get off.
With community input and student cooperation, CATA's convenient offerings can serve students even better.
