Buses Not So Hot

Editor:

I was much disappointed to see the peppy little article (Oct. 19-25) praising the electric bus service and acknowledging one year of successful service on the part of these buses.

I was excited at the prospect of having an electric bus for the campus. They are supposed to be quieter and less polluting than the diesel buses. I had never thought that those would be the only redeeming qualities these buses would possess.

In my experience, the electric buses have been unreliable, under-powered, and uncomfortable. The buses have broken down on a routine basis. The diesel buses are still running on a regular basis to cover the routes.

They have insufficient power to pull a full load of passengers up the Hearst hill. I have had to walk the second half of that 12 percent grade when the bus died half way up the hill and all the passengers were evacuated.

The buses are extremely uncomfortable, if not dangerous. The riders suffer as the buses bounce, actually tossing them vertically off the seats. The buses also lurch and make it hard for standees to remain standing.

This article is so peppy and paints such a false picture, it makes me question the veracity of the other articles in Berkeleyan. I realize that Berkeleyan wants to keep an upbeat tone, but I would appreciate less peppy reporting and more realism in your articles.

Alexis Dees, Radio Astronomy Lab

Parking in Crisis

Editor:

The parking situation on campus, at least in the southeastern corner, is already a crisis and soon to get much worse.

I often find it impossible, despite my Central Campus permit, to find a space on campus when I arrive for class at 10:30 am. So far, I have been able to cross Piedmont Avenue and nab one of the last spaces in the Kleeberger lot. I expect that to end, however, once the new business school building is occupied. I don't know what I'll do then.

How did that colossal building get designed and approved so as to eliminate scores of parking spaces and not supply a single one in return? How could our business school colleagues do this to the campus?

Other faculty may face problems worse than mine. Can anything be done?

Stephen R. Barnett, Professor of Law


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