Forget Driving: Tips and Advice for Taking the Bus!
Not everyone owns a car, and even if you do, there are some legitimate advantages to forgoing the car in favor of the bus service offered by Florida State University. I’m a frequent bus rider myself, and I have many tips and advice for anyone looking for an alternative mode of transportation, as well as some reasons to consider taking the bus over driving yourself.
Why take the bus? Well the way I see it, there are two legitimate reasons. First, it’s easier on the environment. Getting your nasty, gas-guzzling, carbon-emitting hunk of metal and wheels off of the road means there’s less pollutants circulating around and roasting the planet. This is also helped by the fact that many of FSU’s buses are electric. If you don’t care about the environment, though, it’ll also be easier on you, too. Not driving means not having to use as much gas, so you’ll save money (the buses are free in case you weren’t aware), plus you don’t personally have to deal with traffic. The bus drivers here are fairly experienced at moving their giant land barges around through traffic (with a notable exception being W. Jefferson St.) and it doesn’t take much time to get from point A to point B. The biggest benefit though is not having to park. Parking is a scarce commodity on FSU campus and getting to work around it entirely could not be more of a blessing.

Riding the bus is a bit awkward at first, but the convenience of a cheap method of transportation should not be overlooked. Image from Pexels.com
Now that you’ve read the benefits, I’m sure you’re aching to hop on a bus. There are numerous transit lines that all go to certain places around FSU campus, and some of them take certain paths that you’re going to want over others because they are faster. This will all depend on what classes you have and where you’re coming from, so I can’t be super specific recommending bus lanes, but here are a few tips.
Tip one: use apps. Two apps in particular are pretty useful for figuring out your bus route: Google Maps and TransLoc Rider. With Google Maps, you can plan out your trip ahead of time by selecting your destination, setting your arrival time to be around when you’d want to get to class, and then setting your method of transportation to transit. That will tell you the details of when you’ll want to leave and what bus route to take. With the Rider app, you can see where buses are in real time, as well as a map with all of the available bus stops around you. This app can be used to fact check Google (sometimes Maps isn’t the most accurate with buses) and can be used on the fly to find a quick bus to your next class or to go home.
Tip two: mix and match transportation methods. The buses aren’t able to go everywhere, so some walking will be required to get to where you’re going. If you need an extra bit of speed, experiment with different ways to get around campus after you get off the bus. Buses will allow skateboards and scooters (as long as they fold) as carry-ons with the passenger, and they also have racks on the front of the buses for carrying bikes, so there are easy ways to get around faster even after you get on the buses.
Tip three: familiarize yourself with the bus stops. There are practically bus stops around every corner, and knowing which ones to pick make the entire process easier. A good rule of thumb is to use bus stops you see a lot of other people using: there’s a good chance that the most convenient buses are going through that stop, including the one you’re looking for.
The buses you can use are also not just limited to the FSU Trans buses, either. The StarMetro buses that the city of Tallahassee uses will also let you ride for free as long as you show them your student ID card.
With that, you’re ready to leave the car keys at home and take the buses instead. Just always remember to thank your drivers when you leave!