Focus group wonders what needs to be done to improve the Oxford O.U.T. bus system

As the Ole Miss student population grows and the environmentalist trend continues to grow, the need for public transportation is becoming an increasingly popular topic. On February 11th, a focus group of current Ole Miss students and Oxford residents met to discuss new ways to promote and improve the O.U.T. bus system. Within the first five minutes of the meeting, it became apparent that the bus system has not yet reached its full potential for public transportation around Oxford.

Most of the eight Oxford residents who were brought together to talk about the O.U.T. bus system knew little about it. Few even know it was free to current Ole Miss students. Everyone basically admitted ignorance to anything and everything about the bus system and seemed to agree that the lack of advertising was the reason. When asked if better advertising would help awareness for the bus system, senior Ole Miss student, Alexa Mai seemed to think it would. "Yeah, if I could know the times and places and everything, I would use it." With nods of heads all around the table, her answer seemed to speak for everyone.

"It's not convenient...if it's at that odd time. And you don't want to have to stand in the rain and get stranded." was another excuse. Active ASB member, Taylor McGraw, told us that he actually met with the O.U.T. directors the day prior to the focus group, and that they are looking into building bus shelters with route maps inside. But is this enough incentive for people to ride? What else do the O.U.T. directors need to do to encourage more students to ride the bus? Rewards for first time riders, such as gift certificates to popular Oxford eateries was one idea. "If you can get people to ride it one time, they will figure out that it's really easy and convenient."

One would think that with today's high gas prices, students would be inclined to seek out the bus system regardless of incentives, but none of the participants expressed any concern for gas prices. Many, in fact, seemed to feel that the need for their car was more important than worrying with gas prices. Mai said "I can't survive without a car because I run errands. Girls run errands all the time." But with cars comes the issue of parking, which brought up the topic of a parking garage. A parking garage might solve some of the current parking problems, but it encourages students to use their cars, which does nothing to help sustain the environment in the long run. Environmental issues are becoming more of a concern in other parts of the United States, but the focus group gathered that many Oxford residents seem passive towards to issue.

Professional photographer and writer of "Pick It Up Oxford" blog, Lizzie Oglesby, brought up a good point about how culture can come into play in public transportation when she said, "We're all part of a demographic where we all have cars. You go to New York City (where public transportation is very prevalent) and nobody has a car, but we all happen to have them. Everyone I know has a vehicle and they are stuck with it. We are all just comfortable to an extent that we're going to use our cars." Oglesby brings up such a good point that it makes one wonder if, even with better advertising and incentives, the O.U.T. bus system can really ever take off in a culture where cars rule.