Our friend Abby continues her Week without Driving adventures. You can read her preview here, follow her E-Trike journey here, discover what she discovered on two feet here, or ride with her into San Francisco on a SMART Train/Ferry trip.
It was Bus Day for me in my participation in the national Week Without Driving. I made an appointment with my doctor at Kaiser Medical Center, thinking that going to Kaiser is a fairly typical bus trip for people in Santa Rosa who are non-drivers due to age, disability, economic circumstances, or another reason.
The geography of Santa Rosa has been hard for me to internalize. Although the city divides easily into four quadrants on a North-South-East-West axis, the downtown dates to the 19th century, and streets throughout the city follow creeks rather than a grid.
Fortunately the city’s transportation department has done a good job of routing buses along the routes where people need to go. Santa Rosa Junior College, known as “the JC” is well-served, as is the downtown, shopping centers at Montgomery Village and Coddingtown, and the large senior community, Oakmont, that is about six miles out of town. The main Kaiser Medical Center is on the northern end of the city along Highway 101 and the Mendocino Avenue artery, about a ten minute drive.
I consulted a complicated website and an even more complicated printed map and schedule, and decided that I would leave around noon for my 1:50 pm appointment, just to be sure I wasn’t late.
When I arrived at the bus stop a block from my home I met another senior, a gentleman who said he was figuring out the bus system, too. He showed me that both the Santa Rosa City Bus and the Sonoma County Bus stop at our corner, but that the posted schedule is only for the County system. We were both relieved when the City Bus #4 stopped and welcomed us aboard.
The bus driver was happy and helpful. He got off the bus and assisted my co-rider in boarding the bus with the bag he was wheeling, and made sure we each understood how to pay the fare. I used my Clipper card and my friend used cash. The driver also explained that I did not need to transfer as he would be changing routes when we reached downtown, becoming the #1 bus that I needed to get to Kaiser. Hooray!
When a couple with a stroller boarded the bus, the driver kindly helped them get settled and showed them how to safely hold their infant and secure the stroller.
Most lines terminate at the downtown Transit Mall, an area I had been warned to avoid when I walk around downtown. The Transit Mall is closed for renovations, so the bus lines terminate on a blocked off street next to City Hall. Other riders said they were happy to transfer at somewhere other than the Transit Mall. I’m looking forward to finding out what the renovations accomplish.
When I got off at Kaiser, the driver told me that for my return trip I could try to cross the street to the bus stop on that side, but that it would be easier to hop on the bus at the same stop and ride to the end of the route, where the bus would circle back at Codding Town Shopping Center. Odd, but ok!
The three mile trip took less than an hour, and I arrived at Kaiser with plenty of time to spare. I walked across the parking lot (no sidewalks) and noticed that they have “Free Valet Parking” so I decided to see what kind of parking they offer for bicycles. The man at the information desk pointed me to the main hospital building, and I found a protected bike parking area which, though small, was stylish and useful. I asked a bike rider how he liked it, and he said he’s been a bike commuter since he began working at Kaiser 10 years ago, and has never had a helmet or gloves, much less a bike, stolen. They also have bike lockers in the employee parking lot.
After my appointment I considered crossing Bicentennial Way to the bus stop, but I knew I would feel like Eddie Murphy in Bowfinger trying to cross the Hollywood Freeway. I took the bus driver’s advice and rode the outbound route through the turnaround.
When I got back to the downtown transfer point I asked a friendly bus monitor to take my photo in front of the bus. David is an enthusiastic employee of the bus system, and he asked me about my adventures and told me about how he taught his grandchildren to love the bus. He educated me about the County Bus system, too. I boarded the #4 and heard that the driver had been rescued from a bus that had broken down. She was so conscientious that she stopped at a school and called a girl over who was waiting for someone, saying “I’m so sorry, my bus broke down. You know I will always be here for you, count on it.” Amazing!
The Santa Rosa City Bus clearly prioritizes customer care, excellent service, and friendliness. One driver said she loves her co-workers and passengers. What a difference from my experiences trying to get from LAX to Santa Monica on the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, where the driver refused to give me any information about when and where the bus was going. Bus drivers are an important part of our social fabric, and I am so glad to live in a city that values them!
Coming up: reflections on policy changes to support non-automobile transportation, and a community meeting for Week Without Driving participants to begin organizing to get changes implemented.
