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Monday, March 21, 2011

I think I'm going to have some transportation issues come May

Currently buses go every 30 minutes on most routes during the weekdays until 6:20, when they go hourly till the last bus. Here are proposed changes to the LexTran buses:

Weekdays: The first three departures from the Transit Center will remain at 6:20 a.m., 6:50 a.m. and 7:20 a.m. After 7:20 a.m., trips will depart the Transit Center every 35 minutes until 5:50 p.m. After 5:50 p.m., trips will leave the Transit Center at 6:40 p.m. and every 70 minutes until 11:20 p.m. Midday routes that currently operate hourly will instead operate every 70 minutes to maintain transfer connections. Routes 20, 23, 26 and 28 are not affected by the changes at this time.

Saturdays: The first four departures from the Transit Center will remain at 6:20 a.m., 7:20 a.m., 8:20 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. After 9:20 a.m., buses will depart the Transit Center at 10:30 a.m. and every 35 or 70 minutes until 5:30 p.m., then at 6:40 p.m. and every 70 minutes until 11:20 p.m.

Sundays: Departures from the Transit Center will be unchanged, although time points along some routes may
change slightly

Right now I get to work at 10:30, meaning I catch the 9:50 bus at 10:10 to get there in time, then wait around for a half hour before clocking in. If these proposed changes go through, I'd have to catch the bus 20 minutes earlier (so leave the house almost an hour before work to go four miles down the road) just to get to work on time Since I often do bank and pharmacy runs by going a bus or two earlier, this will mean getting up much earlier. Also, currently if I get off at 7 pm, I wait 30 minutes until the 7:20 bus comes by the hospital around 7:30. Now I'd have to wait until about 8 for a bus. If I want to catch the prior bus, though, I'd have to change my schedule to work till 6:30 so I could still get it at 6:50. So that 10 minutes difference adds up to either leaving almost a half hour early or working almost an hour later (or standing for longer at the stop). It seems more complicated than just knowing a bus will be by in 30- or 60 minute-intervals.

The obvious thing to do is adjust my schedule in May. It'll probably mean going in at 10:15 and getting off about 6:40 and hope I can get to the bus in time in the evening, but I don't think I can guarantee I'll be there specifically from and to those times. That way I could catch the bus at 10 and 6:50, but it'll be pushing it. But it'll still make errands difficult.

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