While buses provide a necessary and reliable way for students to travel, its users say the current system isn't perfect. In Farmville, there are six buses a passenger can choose from and each bus has a different route. Two of the bus routes are primarily for Longwood students: the campus line and the campus direct line.
“The signs on the front of each bus, can be a little difficult to distinguish (which) bus,” said sociology junior Sarah Kaufman. “It only really becomes an issue if I’m at the library bus stop.”
For the students that live in Lancer Park, they can choose campus line, a shuttle that runs on a half an hour loop from campus to Lancer Park and then to Longwood Village. Students living in Lancer Park or who wish to visit can also ride the Campus Direct Line, which runs back and forth from campus to the off-campus community every 20 minutes.
“The FAB (Farmville Area Bus) is alright, it’s a great way of transportation if you don’t have access to a vehicle. It’s reliable to class, majority of the time, other than when you’re in a rush.” Said junior English major Summer Anderson. “Kinda like a printer, if it smells fear, it waits.”
Out of the six buses offered in Farmville, four of them are probably used more by students than the Green or Orange line. The Green Line travels through Prospect/Pamplin Area on Monday and Thursday of the week; and the Orange Line moves in Meherrin/Green Bay area on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of the week.
“I think the FAB is reliable to get us to campus,” said sophomore Alexandra Gracey. “But for those who live in the Park, it’s difficult to go grocery shopping without a car. Students have to get onto multiple busses to be able to get to Walmart or the grocery store, which is a hassle.”
Information on the FAB is offered on the Longwood website, but there isn’t any information about the bus drivers or all of the bus stops for students to use. Some of the buses will use the same stops, the buses are distinguished by signs are on the front of the vehicle. Unfortunately for students there isn’t a sign or roster at each stop to tell the students the bus schedule or how long it will be for a bus to come by.
“I don’t like the wait time especially in the cold,” said junior Anthropology major Joleen Howell. “But if the Campus Direct Line ran until 8 PM on the weekdays I might be able to get home earlier.”
Howell isn’t alone in wanting a shorter waiting time at the bus stop or having more transportation options, Kaufman and Anderson agree that buses should run longer. Kaufman suggested having more buses for Lancer Park and Longwood Village especially. It was also pointed out that depending on the bus schedule, students may feel the need to show up an hour early to their destination or risk being five minutes late.
