Fresno City College’s public transit mostly relies on the Fresno Area Express (FAX) bus which the city provides. This system is important to its community, especially the students of FCC.
My commute to a bus stop includes a scooter ride about 30 minutes on Clovis Avenue to get to the 1, which goes from River Park, to Downtown Fresno, and ends at Sunnyside. It’s discouraging to put so much energy traveling to college.
Candelaria Perez, who is studying alcoholism and drug abuse counseling, said her commute takes about 45 minutes daily. Perez feels the wait times at some bus stops have decreased.
She said bus drivers are understanding and let students know of issues with FCC ID cards.
I understand what Perez meant as I had been let on the bus despite issues with my ID card.
Eric Champ, a major in studio arts, uses the morning and afternoon bus. His transportation takes from 40 minutes to an hour and uses two bus routes. He mentioned that “it takes ages for the next bus to show up” when transferring between lines.
Champ also said that sometimes the bus takes a break before his last stop, leading him between the decision of waiting or getting off the bus and walking to his final destination.
I think many people have issues with taking the bus because it seems unclean and unsafe.
The FAX will not always be the cleanest as people sometimes leave trash, but I have never felt unsafe.
Bus drivers will be strict about passenger safety, kicking out people that break the rules. There are also security cameras on each bus. Many people are just trying to get to their destination and tend to mind their own business.
Rosa Hernandez, a sociology major, is also a morning and afternoon bus user. Her transportation takes about 30 minutes which involves getting on two buses.
One of her personal changes would be to increase the amount of buses during busier hours. In the afternoon many people use the 1. People will have to stand in the bus or wait for another with seating.
She also said her peers refrain from using the bus.
I wish there could be a bus line that runs from the Fresno County Blossom Trail to the Clovis Botanical Garden. This would help me and others have better access to the bus system.
This would increase foot traffic and lead to easier transportation for places such as Sierra Vista Mall or Fresno State.
This system can be improved, but it’s free for students and cheaper than buying a car, while allowing access to roam popular areas of Fresno.
It’s the people of the community who take the effort to improve waiting times, push for new routes, and communicate their issues to be solved.
