Bus system re-evaluated

The Redeemer bus system has been under much scrutiny as of late from both students and university administrators. Comments and complaints have been trickling in to the Student Senate office for the past few months regarding both the HSR and the Attridge bus services. The issues tend to revolve around the frequency, timing, and punctuality of the buses. In an attempt to address the student concerns, Student Senate graciously organized and hosted an evening Bus Panel with representatives from Redeemer, HSR, and Attridge all present. Senate’s VP of Student Affairs, Christian Vandergeest, anchored the meeting and was prepared to play moderator. The only problem? There were very few students who showed up. In fact there were a grand total of three. Last minute papers, night classes, and other events contributed to the low turnout, but really, where were the concerned students?

Regardless, a number of helpful issued were raised and a handful of questions answered. HSR representatives discussed the possibility of re-scheduling the current timetable for the Redeemer shuttle to correspond better with student classes and desires. Instead of simply connecting with the 41 Mohawk bus at Meadowlands, there was talk of moving the shuttle times so they better connect with the 5A route downtown. Discussion was also made of eliminating or moving the awkward 11-12PM Saturday shuttle time to a more convenient window, possibly in the late afternoon or evening so that students can easily get downtown on Saturday.

These requests fit with an ever-growing desire of the student population to get off campus and visit the downtown core. Whether it’s for work, play, or church, students have made it clear that they want to be amongst the activity in the inner city and they want to contribute to the exciting revitalization that is happening there. Luckily, this is becoming increasingly more possible with greater demand and greater services to the surburbs of the city. Unluckily, increasing bus service is based on demand and development. The area surrounding our school has witnessed more development and housing concentration than any other neighbourhood in Hamilton, meaning that the environmental and cultural situation has been monopolized by rows of extremely large houses.

Ultimately, distance to the core is the central factor in this whole debate. One HSR representative present at the panel said that it is very unlikely that Redeemer would be considered for additional bus service in the immediate future. His reasoning for this was two-fold: Redeemer is located on the edge of the city and Redeemer does not have a high frequency of riders. Admittedly, we cannot plan on having frequent or cheap bus services to campus in our four-five year tenure. But, we can continue to use the services provided and to advocate for more bus coverage as things change. This will not only help students experience the city in which they live, it will also help commuters realize that it is possible to get around the city without depending on a vehicle.

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