For many teens, public transportation is the difference between getting home on time and waiting alone in a parking lot. It provides a dependable way to go to and from school, participate in activities and become more independent. But alongside these benefits, students encounter issues such as crowded buses, inconsistent arrival times and occasional safety concerns. While still valuable, the public transportation system still has room for improvement.
Access to public transit gives students greater control over their schedules, allowing them to manage time more flexibly without relying on family schedules.
“[Riding public transportation made it so that] I didn’t need to get anyone to pick me up,” said senior Tomas Canova. “It was sometimes the only way I could get home from school without having to wait hours at school for one of my parents to come pick me up.”
Convenience is also a major factor in using public transportation, as it provides a moment of calm in an otherwise busy school day.
“You just sit down … you don’t have to drive or anything,” Canova said. “It’s pretty easy to use.”
This simplicity extends beyond the ride itself, influencing how families coordinate transportation. When transportation is straightforward, families can plan their mornings more easily, taking stress out of the daily commute and making the schedule a whole lot smoother for everyone at home.
“It’s super convenient for my parents,” said sophomore Beckett Webster. “Because they only have to drive me to the bus stop and not all the way to school.”
However, with this convenience also comes several downsides.
“Especially on the 59, it gets really crowded,” Canova said. “Not getting a seat kind of sucks, because I’m just standing there the whole time. And I’ve seen people on the bus fall down … [which] must hurt a lot.”
Crowding and student safety concerns like these often shape how students feel about their daily ride, influencing their overall comfort. For many, a cramped ride could make it impossible to relax, turning the daily trip into one of the more frustrating parts of daily life.
“I don’t like how long it takes [or just] being around people,” said sophomore Theodore Li.
Besides space, the price of a ride can become a limiting factor, especially when teens rely on transit multiple times a day. What may seem like a small amount can quickly add up for those who take the bus to and from school every day. A SamTrans fare costs $2.00 for a day pass, which can quickly lead up to over $360 a year.
“There’s two types of bus passes,” Webster said. “There’s one the school offers, which is [where] you pay $100 and it’s unlimited for the school year. That’s the one I have. I paid $100, and you can just [use] it infinitely from a time period to another time period. The Sam Trams website actually offers a Clipper card. You can either put a set balance on that card to use, or you can just renew it.
While affordability is one part of the equation, teens also emphasized that riders cannot entirely rely on public transport to adhere to exact times of arrival and departure.
“Sometimes it’s inconsistent,” Canova said. “If I really have to be somewhere punctually, I wouldn’t always rely on the bus to get me there.”
Although cost remains an important consideration, students have also noticed several positive changes that have enhanced their experience, such as its role in saving the environment. The transition to electric buses reveals that the district is taking student wellness and the environment seriously. This gives students a real sense of progress, and by replacing gasoline-fueled buses, which emit harmful nitrogen oxides, carbon emissions can be reduced by up to 181 metric tons per bus each year. Electrification also provides for smoother rides, therefore enhancing students’ experiences beyond environmental concern.
“They used to be using gasoline-fueled buses, but now they’re using electric buses, which is better for the environment,” Webster said.
At the end of the day, public transit is a reflection of the community; whether that’s protecting the environment, keeping people safe, or making daily life less stressful. As transit systems continue to evolve, the goal is to not just move teens from place to place, but to make their day better along the way.
