Few would disagree that the Davis Square Shuttle idea needs to be rethought. I have seen my life flash before my eyes with some of its crazy drivers, and I have missed trains and nearly missed flights due to its less-than-lackluster "service," for lack of a better term.
But these are not my biggest concerns regarding the Tufts shuttle. Has anybody noticed the black column of smoke that trails behind "Joey" when it pulls away from the Campus Center or Olin Center? Has anyone been unfortunate enough to smell the air when crossing the street after the shuttle has passed by, or noticed that the bus driver is content to idle the bus unnecessarily for ten to 15 minutes? And finally, has it come to anyone's attention that Joseph's Transportation often uses the large city bus when a smaller bus would suffice?
I am happy that the Senate has been providing students, faculty, and staff with a means of getting to Davis Square without driving or spending 75 cents to take the 94 or 96 busses. Certainly, without the shuttle, many more individuals would opt to drive their cars to avoid the 15-minute walk. The shuttle means less congestion on the already-overstressed local roads, and less damage to the environment by people's automobiles and... sigh, SUVs. But when I see more that can be done, I can't help but wonder whether it has crossed other people's minds that Joey, by itself, is an environmental embarrassment?
First and foremost, idling a vehicle in Massachusetts for more than five minutes is illegal (Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90, Section 16A). So, if you see your driver breaking the law, feel free to inform him or her and ask to turn it off. That is an easy enough problem to solve. But others remain. What about the stink trail that the bus leaves in its wake? Is that a sign of an ill-maintained bus?
My largest concern for the Davis Square shuttle is its impact on climate change. Better known as global warming, climate change results from increased amounts of "greenhouse gases" - the ones that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. To have greenhouse gases present is a good thing, or else life would cease to exist on this planet. But too much of these greenhouse gases leads to increased flooding from torrential rains, hurricanes, and other storms. Climate change will eventually lead to the melting of the polar ice caps followed by the inevitable flooding of coastal cities. The average temperature on Earth has gone up by about one degree Fahrenheit since the Industrial Revolution; we're looking at another five to ten degrees in the next 100 years. That doesn't sound that bad by itself, but consider that the average temperature during the Ice Ages was only five to ten degrees colder.
According to the US Department of Transportation, transportation contributes to about 25 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions. (That's right - your family's Ford Explorer is connected to global warming!) At Tufts, only about six percent of greenhouse emissions come from transportation, according to the Tufts Climate Initiative. That includes commuter students and facilities transportation. So why am I directing my energy at the shuttle when writing this Viewpoint? Primarily because the shuttle is a very visible object on campus. Every student on Tufts' Medford campus has used the shuttle at least a few times each semester, and the number of complaints about the shuttle, not to mention several Daily articles over the years, is an indication that it is a part of "the Tufts experience." I see the "greening" of the shuttle as an example of environmental responsibility. It would also reflect Tufts' commitment to meet the Kyoto Protocol - a pact fighting global warming - by 2012.
Last, I am simply tired of smelling that abomination every time I walk by the Campus Center. One of the reasons that it adopted its current "circuitous" route is that residents complained about its smell and noise (Somerville resident complaints force changes to Davis Square shuttle route, 9/5/00). That's right, freshmen. The shuttle once took a much more direct route to Tufts than it does now, but due to scores of complaints by local residents, it has since changed so that it follows more traveled roads.
So, what would combat these grievances I mention? How about a commitment from Joseph's to better maintain its buses, for starters? That, and better planning on its part to use the big bus only when appropriate, would get me about halfway to where I want to go. How about a study on the use of bio-diesel fuel instead of ordinary diesel fuel? Bio-diesel cuts down on emissions, as engines burn it more completely than conventional diesel fuel and without the offensive odor, too.
Let's get a little risky, here. How about hybrid buses, or electric buses using fuel cells? This all sounds quite demanding, but it is more than just a pipe dream. Last April, Tufts added a hybrid car to the University's fleet. I'd like to see this trend continue into the future.
With a quieter, cleaner bus, it is possible that local residents may not be disgusted by its passage every 20 minutes - perhaps some day, the bus could revert to its old, shorter route. But let us take things one at a time. For right now, I'd just like to watch the shuttle travel by and take a deep breath without it offending my olfactory sensors or my sense of environmental responsibility.
Ted Shevlin is a senior majoring in computer science with a minor in multimedia arts.
