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Cordiana Cozier expected strong social distancing protocols when she came to Syracuse University. But when she boarded the bus to Main Campus from her South Campus apartment, that wasn’t what she found.

Cozier, who has asthma and is immunocompromised, has felt unsafe traveling to and from campus, especially at busy times, when buses are full and social distancing is difficult.

“The bus has no type of restrictions,” said Cozier, a sophomore chemistry major. “It’s so unsafe. It’s already unsafe to be on public transportation, but if you’re sitting that close to someone in such a small space, you’re not six feet apart.”

SU officials have said that campus transportation would include social distancing protocols during the fall semester. But several students who travel to and from campus by bus told The Daily Orange they’ve faced minimal enforcement of public health guidelines and overcrowded buses.

The university, which resumed in-person classes Aug. 24, partners with Centro Bus Services to transport students between Main and South campus, as well as to other off-campus neighborhoods.

Maintaining social distancing and mask-wearing on Centro buses is primarily the responsibility of passengers, said Steven Koegel, vice president of communications and business planning at the company. Centro won’t deny service to passengers who aren’t wearing masks, he said.

“It really comes down to personal responsibility,” Koegel said. “Mask enforcement is a very difficult and tricky procedure. We want to make sure everyone has a mask on, however, we can not deny somebody service if they are not wearing a mask.”

Centro has implemented several protocols to reduce the risk of passengers contracting coronavirus on its buses, Koegel said. The company has started disinfecting its buses daily and has installed plexiglass panels between the driver and passengers. Announcements over the buses’ speakers remind passengers to follow health and safety protocols.

But leaving social distancing to passengers has made the buses unsafe, SU students living on South Campus said. Buses traveling to and from campus look nearly the same as they did before the pandemic, several students said.

Cozier has seen passengers sitting or standing too close together, and the design of the buses often doesn’t allow for students to stand six feet apart, she said.

Bryan Fletcher, a sophomore newspaper and online journalism major who lives on South Campus, said it doesn’t seem like SU has prioritized safety on buses like they have on campus.

“I wish they thought of it as more of an issue,” Fletcher said. “A lot of people live on South Campus, and it basically affects anybody who has to go to Main Campus.”

Centro encourages students to make the best decisions for their health and safety, Koegel said. If students are not comfortable getting on a particular bus because there are too many people on board, they can take the next bus.

But for several students, university transportation is their only way of getting to and from Main Campus. They’re often left with no other choice than to risk being on a crowded bus, they said.

“I don’t feel safe, but how else are you supposed to get to campus?” said Lilly Kreidler, a sophomore who lives on South Campus and studies inclusive elementary and special education. “There’s not really another option.”

Kreidler has seen many Centro bus passengers wearing masks incorrectly. She had to sit next to a person who was wearing a mask below their nose rather than covering their nose and mouth, she said.

Centro buses do not have any social distancing signage, which SU has implemented in several buildings on campus. Emily Steinberger | Photo Editor

The buses also don’t have the same amount of social distancing signage that many other spaces on campus have, Kreidler said.

SU announced in August that it had reduced the capacity of its buses and trolleys to 50% to ensure social distancing is possible. The university has also added buses to some routes during peak times, according to an SU News release. 

“At this time, there are risks associated with any form of public transportation or indoor space,” said Jennifer Horvath, the communications director for SU’s Business, Finance and Administrative Services. “(But) the university and Centro have implemented best practices for public safety.”

Students should try not to plan on taking the latest bus possible in case they have to wait for the next one to avoid overcrowding, Koegel said. Centro has several supervisors on SU’s campus who can address social distancing violations if they arise, he said.

“If you wait for the last bus before you have to be somewhere, you kind of have to get on that last bus or you’re going to be late,” Koegel said. “We feel students need to do what’s in their best interest for their personal safety.”

To make buses safer for everyone, Centro and the university should do a better job regulating how many people board the buses and should enforce social distancing guidelines inside, students said.

“I want to be able to go to and from campus safely and easily,” Cozier said. “I don’t know how to make it so you cap the amount of students who get on the bus, but there needs to be something changed about the system because it is so unsafe right now.”

Published on October 4, 2020 at 9:31 pm

Contact Maggie: mehicks@syr.edu | @maggie_hickss