The Brown & White

It's a cold, rainy afternoon and as you make your way frantically toward the bus stop to catch a ride up the Hill, you realize the ground you're walking on is not actually concrete, but ice. So, you dodge your fellow classmates on the sidewalk as quickly as possible without slipping, only to look up just in time to see the bus pulling away from the stop in front of you without any passengers.

Weighing your options of waiting another 10 or 15 minutes for the next bus or braving the rain and ice to walk up the Hill, you decide to stick it out at the bus stop. Huddled in the cold with other students, you finally spot the bus off in the distance, and want to jump for joy at the sight of your rescuer. However, the feeling quickly passes as you realize the bus is not slowing down, but instead, whizzes past already full of students from the previous stop.

Whether it is to get to class on time, play rehearsal or practice on Goodman Campus, Lehigh's transportation services are put to the test daily. Some days they pass with flying colors and other days students have to take matters into their own hands. Students deal with the transportation issues at Lehigh in various ways. Some choose to walk to places on campus, some drive, and still others have decided to continue to use the bus system, accepting it as just another part of being a Lehigh student.

"I usually walk to class," Kristen Jaber, '11, said. "If I have to go up to the top of the Hill I'll take the bus, but sometimes it's too full so I can't get on."

Along with the issue of not having enough space on buses, some students also have problems with the bus schedule.

"The schedule is weird because the bus leaves right when class ends so you have to wait for the next one, which makes you late to class," Gordon Jonas, '10, said. "Instead of leaving right on the hour, I think a five minute delay would work better."

Still, other students find the current system effective and say there is no reason for transportation services to make a change.

"I take the bus up when I'm at the bottom of campus, and I don't see the need for any improvements," Kate Laier, '11, said. "I think the bus system is solid, and I love the bus drivers."

Students who have a car on campus say driving is convenient, but it does have its disadvantages as well.

"I like having a car here because I can go lots of places, but I have to pay for insurance, gas and parking," Andrew Scavone, '09, said. "I walk to class because I can never find parking on campus."

Parking will always be an issue for those with cars.

"I have a car, but I only drive to my really early classes because that's about the only time I can find free parking," said Jessica Simberlund, '09. "I would like to use the bus system here, but it's so inconvenient."

In determining whether to take the bus, drive, or walk, one factor students often overlook is the environmental effect of their decision. Diesel buses and cars emit carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide into the atmosphere, which leads to acid rain and ultimately contributes to global warming.

"Students shouldn't be allowed to drive on campus nor should they feel that it's necessary," Dork Sahagian, director of the Environmental Initiative and professor of earth and environmental sciences, said. "There is no reason for anybody to drive. College is the most fit and healthy time of your life, but if you choose not to walk and get some exercise, you may not be healthy for too long."

Sahagian said although walking would be the best solution to the environmental harm buses and cars create, replacing the large diesel buses with several smaller hybrid shuttles would also help.

The hybrid vehicles would be quite effective on Lehigh's campus because of the hills, Sahagian said.

Hills are the ideal place for hybrid vehicles because electricity can be used to power them going up the hill and on the way down they can be allowed to regenerate.

"Since the buses are often empty, we could use all the shuttles at peak times and less at others," Sahagian said.

Sahagian said the only step that has been taken toward a more effective transportation system during his time at Lehigh was a discussion of implementing a separate lower campus bus route. This route would only stay on the Asa Packer campus, allowing for the buses to run every five minutes instead of 10 to 15 minutes.

"The one thing I've seen students do that helps lessen the amount of pollution from driving is pick up their friends and carpool to class," Sahagian said. "I think they do this more to just give their friends a lift than for environmental reasons though. So I give students some credit, but not that much credit."

Some students support the idea of a more environmentally friendly transportation system, but do not see any feasible alternatives to the buses.

"The big diesel engines of the buses create many environmental problems, but they can't help that, and there really is not much you can do about it," Alex Bosco, '09, said.

Other students had suggestions for improving the transportation system without implementing any drastic changes.

"In the middle of classes no one is on the bus so they should run less frequently at those times and also later in the afternoon," Emily Gonthier, '09, said.

Whether it's replacing the bus system entirely or simply altering certain aspects to lessen the damage of pollution, several options exist to making Lehigh transportation more environmentally friendly.

"Universities should take the lead and set the example for everyone else," Sahagian said. "The problem is that everyone has the mind-set that changing one campus won't make a significant impact on the environment and so no one does anything. Think instead of what would happen if everyone did their part."