CU Boulder mascot Chip in front of a Will Vill bus (Courtesy of the University of Colorado Boulder)
Alexia: Hi! I’m Alexia Bailey, a freshman here at CU Boulder. While I may just be getting started, I’m here to share everything I’ve picked up so far, which is a surprising amount of information. “What’s eating at Alexia” is my unofficial and unfiltered guide to some of the things that being a CU Boulder Buff brings. Think of it as your guide to navigating everything that makes CU Boulder, well, CU Boulder. Whether you’re a freshman finding your footing or a senior with “no body, no crime” level grievances about finals week, I’m here to share my takes, tips and honest observations on everything from the sometimes-unpredictable Buff Bus system to navigating campus protests (or dodging them entirely). College is a wild, unforgettable ride, and “What’s eating at Alexia” is here to make sense of some of it, one opinion at a time.
The University of Colorado Boulder’s Buff Buses provide a vital, free and convenient transportation alternative for students commuting across campus, yet it struggles with peak-hour crowding.
One of my biggest concerns when it came to going to CU Boulder was how far away my dorm was from my classes. As someone with a disability, it’s hard enough to wear a heavy backpack, let alone walk the mile to class each and every morning. Biking isn’t feasible for me, nor do I trust scooters not to crash. But, lucky for me, the CU Boulder buses offer a great free alternative to those who don’t or can’t walk, bike or scooter to class.
I found the Buff Buses within the first couple of weeks. It is now my main transportation to class each morning. The primary routes I take are Williams Village Limited and Williams Village Main Campus, and I use the Transit App to track these buses. I find that the Transit app is mostly reliable and it even tells you when to leave your dorm, so you are not waiting at the bus stop for very long.
The two Will Vill routes are intended to help get students from CU Boulder’s Williams Village to Main Campus, but a common misconception is that only students who live in Will Vill are allowed on the buses. This is false; any CU Boulder student can utilize the buses. What’s really nice about the Buff Buses is that they are completely free to students, and you don’t need to scan your BuffOne to enter.
The Buff Buses themselves are mostly on schedule, clean and quick, and the drivers themselves are always courteous. There are plenty of stops near dorms, and it brings my commute from a twenty-minute walk to a ten-minute bus ride. It makes the campus more accessible for students like me. To me, it’s a lifeline, a necessity.
That said, there are times when the bus system is not very convenient. Buses can get extremely crowded during several points of the day, making it hard to get a seat or even a place to stand comfortably. Students are left standing in aisles or crammed close to doors when these buses are overcrowded, which creates a risk during abrupt stops or turns. As much as I love and utilize the bus system, let’s be real: when peak hours hit, it’s like a can of sardines on wheels.
With this influx of students, you can’t always predict the behavior that comes with it. Sometimes the only sound is the creaking of the bus, but other times it can be really loud. You can either sit next to someone who will mind your personal space or, in my experience, you might sit next to someone who will fall asleep on you. Believe me, it’s an uncomfortable experience for all involved.
There are rules on the Buff Bus website, but I haven’t personally seen them implemented or shown anywhere besides online. Some of the rules, like the rule against alcohol, smoking, drugs or illegal activities, are common sense.
Some rules, though, are not, including the rule on allowing passengers to unload before new passengers board. Therefore, passengers who haven’t read the website wouldn’t know, especially apprehensive passengers who have never ridden a bus.
As the weather gets inevitably colder, another issue that will become higher on my list is the frequency of the buses. For students who don’t live directly next to a bus stop, it’s hard to truly time when to leave your dorm to both make it to the bus and limit the wait in the cold. This is why I am grateful for the Transit app, which gives mostly real-time tracking on the buses and one of the main functions is that it tells you when to leave your dorm.
But nothing is without its faults. I think it is important to note that the app may not always be reliable without Wi-Fi. I know that there is often no Wi-Fi at the Regent Drive and Engineering Drive stop, which makes it difficult to time when the bus will come and, therefore, may make people late to classes if they do not time it well.
Overall, the CU Boulder buses are a part of my everyday life. I take it to class, to the Recreation Center, to the, arguably better, food at Will Vill. I am not going to stop riding the bus anytime soon and it will most likely be my saving grace as it gets colder here in Boulder.
I just cannot avoid talking about overcrowding and all the issues that overcrowding brings with it. If you see me on the Buff Bus, know that while I’m grateful for the ride, I’m also praying no one falls asleep on my shoulder again.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Alexia Bailey at alexia.bailey@colorado.edu.
