Chapel Hill’s relatively robust and comprehensive transit system is popular, offering service to tens of thousands of diverse people. Everyone from college students to working adults to senior citizens takes advantage of the transportation that our town offers, and with good reason— it covers nearly the entire city, provides fast and reliable service, and employs skilled, helpful drivers. And the best part is, it does this all free of charge.
So, it’s no surprise that the Chapel Hill bus network is so widely used. But one demographic is conspicuously missing from the soaring ridership statistics: teenagers. Given the promises of independence, cost-efficacy, and reliability, one would think that teens would be lining up to get on the bus, but most testify that they seldom use the network outside of their school commutes. Other less obvious but perhaps equally important benefits such as increased social interaction, job and volunteering opportunities, and exercise also contribute to the question— why do many Chapel Hill teens neglect to utilize the transit system?
High schoolers and older middle schoolers have lots of reasons to get from place to place. But for everything from social activities to school events to part-time jobs, they tend to opt for a ride from their parents as opposed to more independent methods like walking, biking, and of course, public transit.
Being a high schooler, I had the chance to talk to my peers about their transportation habits and reasoning behind them. Many that I talked to prefer the ease and familiarity of riding in a car. Once you get used to that way of getting around, it’s hard to make a change. Most chronic car users my age cite two main problems that they face when considering public transit as an option: availability and ease of navigation. These problems are very real, and fixing them is the key to promoting teen bus ridership.
Availability can be a legitimate challenge. While Chapel Hill’s transit system is quite comprehensive within the downtown area and on many main arteries such as MLK Jr. Boulevard and East Franklin Street, the neighborhoods off these larger roads often face a lack of coverage. These neighborhoods also have a higher share of families with teenagers than downtown, which might explain why they feel the bus system does not serve them well.
Providing bus service within low-density neighborhoods can be difficult due to a lower concentration of potential users and road sizes and systems that are not great for the buses themselves. But most of these neighborhoods have a major artery nearby, often one with plentiful coverage, and developing the infrastructure that allows neighborhood residents to travel to those roads makes riding the bus a simpler task.
There are numerous ways to do this. From adding amenities like bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, and tree cover to making bus stops more comfortable to offering signage and maps that let users locate the nearest stop, making changes to the areas surrounding bus routes will make ridership easier and safer for the teens that feel the service is inaccessible.
The timing of bus routes is also a consideration. Service during certain times of the day, week, and year are more likely to attract teenage riders. For example, the T bus runs from the UNC Health Sciences Library to East Chapel Hill High School via MLK Jr. Boulevard. This route is convenient for me on school days, and it would be helpful on weekends as well— if it were running at all.
Weekends and the summer are when teenagers’ time is packed with social gatherings, work, volunteering, and other sundry activities, many of which require motor transportation. Though buses may not run as often during these times, broadening service would draw in teen users and make it easier for them to get comfortable with bus travel, especially when a parent or guardian isn’t free to offer a ride.
Transit infrastructure reform is part of the question, but we can’t stop there. When it comes to learning how to get around on a bus and feeling comfortable with that mode of transportation, the best thing a child can have is a guardian who encourages them to explore public transit. By giving kids hands-on transit experience while they’re young, parents can promote its independent use later on and afford the bus that sense of familiarity and comfort that teens often find in car travel.
Note that this is especially true for kids with unique accessibility needs— concerns about riding the bus are likely to be exacerbated in those who, say, must use the wheelchair ramp (which all Chapel Hill buses are equipped with) to board. Providing this experience while a child is young could help dissolve the worries that many may rightfully have, making the transition toward solo busing a much easier one.
Once a child is older, parents might try assisting their teenager in discovering bus routes that work for them and learning how exactly to figure out a bus schedule, find a bus stop, and arrive at their destination. A few minutes of guidance about the transit system will break one of the greatest barriers between teens and buses, saving parents time and money while promoting independence, navigational skills, and participation in the various engagements to which their teens will travel.
For such an ordinary thing, launching into public transit use can be a curiously daunting task— especially for teens. But with enough infrastructural support, encouragement, and education, teens will feel confident and comfortable in getting around using our town’s accessible and comprehensive network of bus routes.