Opinion: The often-overlooked Eugene bus system is a tool we should all use more often.
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My metric for a worthwhile activity? It’s fun, it’s easy and it’s free (trademark coming soon). The Lane Transit District bus system checks all the boxes. Before starting college, one of the things I worried about most was learning my way around Eugene. I wouldn’t go so far as to describe myself as bad at reading maps, but I’m not known for impeccable navigational skills. Before this year, the last time I moved to a new city was when I was four years old. Obviously I wasn’t in charge of learning my way around town at that point. At the start of the year, navigating Eugene felt like a hopeless challenge. Thankfully, the bus system eventually helped me overcome that difficulty.
At first, I hesitated to ride the bus here. At my high school in Portland, students were given free bus passes, but I almost never used mine. I was in the privileged position of being able to walk everywhere I wanted to go, and the bus seemed like a great way to unnecessarily interact with people. Although nothing in Eugene is very far from where I live now, it’s definitely convenient to take the bus anywhere more than a mile away, especially since there’s a stop just a few blocks away from my dorm. The freedom to get out and explore Eugene on my own is something I’ve been so grateful for.
Stereotypical as it is for a college student, one of my favorite things about the LTD system is that it’s free for students at UO and Lane Community College. This makes it much cheaper than driving or using services like Uber and Lyft to get where you need to go. Beyond that, I can’t overstate how much riding the bus helped me figure out Eugene’s layout. Earlier in the year, I hated feeling like I couldn’t help anyone if they asked me for directions. I’m hardly a pro now, but hey, at least I’m not completely useless! It’s nice to have some idea of where I’m going and how to get there.
One of the best parts of any bus trip, no matter the length, is the playlist you pick for the ride. Not to toot my own horn (pardon the pun), but here’s mine for a start. It’s half melancholy hippie and half everything else I like, but obviously you should figure out your own vibe. Do you want to pretend you’re in a sad music video? The main character in a fantasy book? The world is your oyster. The beauty of riding the bus is that you have no responsibilities. You don’t have to watch out for other drivers. You’re not the one steering a giant metal tube. You can just relax and let the world pass by your window. As long as you’re not running late for something important, it’s a much more relaxing way to get around town than driving.
Aside from the convenience, low cost and music listening potential, riding the bus is also much better for the environment than driving a personal car. The more people who ride the bus, the less air pollution and traffic congestion there is. I’m sure we can all agree that’s a big bonus.
Despite all of this, so many people have told me in passing that they’ve never ridden the bus here before. It’s daunting to do anything for the first time, but I promise it’s worth it. For me, it opened up a completely new part of town. Have fun exploring!
