In this third week of classes here at The University of Alabama, I’d say just about all of us have gotten a chance to develop some sort of routine as to how we travel from class to class and to and from campus. If any of your routines include the CrimsonRide transit system, then you’ll know just as well as I do that the convenience of the bus system has heavily decreased. From overcrowded buses to horrendous traffic at certain times of the day, taking CrimsonRide to class has become more and more of a burden on the student population here at the University.

The buses run on a continuous loop, and with the TransLoc app (available for most phones and other mobile devices), predicting the time a bus will arrive at a certain bus stop shouldn’t be that hard. But knowing whether or not the bus that is just around the corner will actually arrive in five minutes or 15 minutes can become frustrating.

Now I understand there are many different variables that can attest to how a bus driver drives – road signs, traffic lights, pedestrians, etc. – especially on main roads for bus routes, like University Boulevard. None of the street lights on University Boulevard by the Quad are synchronized, and the distance between the lights is not even close to half of a mile. The result is a backup of cars and buses all along the busiest part of the boulevard with pedestrians trying to make their way through. Not only does this pose a delay for students on the bus, but also the traffic delays students trying to cross University Boulevard.

Despite the wonky traffic lights and other mild traffic disturbances, there is still no reason that what should take a five- to 10-minute drive instead takes about 15 to 20 minutes. It also doesn’t help that the population is so high at the University, as the bus stops are usually very crowded and the buses fill quickly.

While developing my daily commuting routine, I’ve tried leaving both close to an hour before my class and a half hour before. Leaving 30 or so minutes before my class, I would arrive to class late. However the days that I left 50 minutes to an hour early, I arrived on time. During the timely experiences I’ve had so far, I’ve also sat back and watched drivers take smoke breaks, pick up lunch from fraternity house workers, and, let’s be honest, it should not take five minutes to switch drivers.

The bus system as a whole has proven to be slow and actually less of a convenience to students. As far as reliability, I would recommend using the bus system only if you feel like leaving home an hour before your class starts. Otherwise, get a bike.

Erynn Williams is a sophomore majoring in dance and international studies. Her column runs biweekly.