They said that when University of Mississippi students returned from their Christmas break, many noticed a few new additions to the Oxford University Transit system. Four new buses delivered from Charlotte, N.C., were added to the city’s transportation system in hopes they can increase ridership.
The Oxford University Transit system was launched in October 2008 to create a more eco-friendly city, while encouraging students to find easier methods of transportation than only their cars.
Students, faculty, and local residents met recently to discuss why public transportation hasn’t caught on as much as it has in other cities.
An hour-long focus group session at Ole Miss and led by a student team in a journalism class at the University, discussed the role public transportation plays in Oxford’s culture, as well as new ways to get around town without relying on a car.
The focus group included eight people from various backgrounds and different majors. Six participants were students at Ole Miss, one participant was an University of Mississippi alum, and one person was a professional photographer.
From the beginning of the session, the participants could all agree on one thing: Oxford’s culture has never really catered to public transportation, making it difficult for students to consider the possibility of alternate methods of transportation besides their own vehicles.
“I think the biggest problem might be is that we are over an hour away from the nearest airport,” said Taylor McGraw, a Public Policy Leadership student and Associated Student Body student affairs committee chair. “How do you get back and forth from Oxford if you don’t have a car?”
Without any shuttle service to Memphis or a reliable taxi service, it is difficult for students from out-of-state to travel without the use of a car. They need a car to travel any distance, so they feel that since they have a car in Oxford, they might as well use it.
“We’re all part of a demographic that we all have cars,” said Lizzie Oglesby, a professional photographer who lives in the Oxford area and has a blog “Pick It Up, Oxford” which focuses on making the South a greener place. “I mean, we are all just comfortable to an extent that we’re gonna use our cars.”
The start of OUT coincided with the declining economy and the surge in gas prices. High gas prices seemed to push some people towards public transportation instead of personal cars, but most participants said gas prices generally aren’t an issue for them except when taking a long road trip.
“Well, I mean on a day to day basis, we usually will be driving a mile or two to and from campus.”
Everyone in the focus group agreed they would like to see OUT become more popular in hopes it would ease traffic congestion. However, there needs to be a better way to attract students to the bus system.
“I think the people who do ride it in the community really rely on it.”
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