How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
NYU's unique, urban layout and expansive presence across Manhattan bring students both benefits and burdens. We're allowed the freedom to experience the city without the confines of a traditional campus, but the scattered nature of our buildings limits those within walking distance, specifically university housing. Campus transportation, provided by the Department of Public Safety, has traditionally provided a solution to that problem.
Topics
But this school year NYU merged the five bus routes of previous years into two. Certain routes, such as the one that served students at the now-closed Water Street residence hall, are simply no longer needed, yet others were modified to cut costs and address student feedback.
We understand that given the current economic climate, especially within higher education, NYU must make these cuts to keep its budget under control. We've seen cuts like these before. Although these changes have been in effect since classes began, Public Safety has yet to make an official announcement regarding the changes. The service announcements section of its website has no obvious mention of the new routes — even the downloadable map of bus routes isn't updated.
Since the university offers students housing at locations far enough to warrant a bus ride, it should be proactive in keeping those students informed and up-to-date about the changes. That Public Safety hasn't made bolder attempts to notify students of such drastic changes is an irritating lack of outward communication. Fred Barlow, a Public Safety assistant director, told WSN "every effort" has been made to notify passengers. While it would be unreasonable to expect a full-fledged press conference for such an announcement, the WSN Editorial Board thinks certain simple steps, such as updating the downloadable map, should be within "every effort."
However, the implementation of the new system should be seen as an opportunity for students' voices to be heard. According to Barlow, parts of the remodeling were done in response to student feedback, and he said the department welcomes student input on the new system. As members of the university, it is to our own advantage to give that feedback so we can see positive, substantive changes.
The university doesn't have to deal with the daily burdens or benefits these new routes and schedules may bring; we do. So take full advantage of Barlow's invitation, and tell NYU how the new bus routes and schedules have affected your daily commute.
