By Pat Wray
Columnist | Posted: Friday, May 29, 2009 12:00 am
It takes some getting used to, this riding Corvallis Transit System (CTS) buses.
After all, I usually walk to my car, get in and drive away at my leisure. The buses run on a schedule that has nothing to do with my leisure. But I'm beginning to like the entire bus experience. It bears little resemblance to the system I grew up with in Northern Virginia, where dirty, smelly buses were packed with rude, pushy people. The CTS buses are clean and quiet; travelers tend to be the same. As for traveling at my leisure, learning the times and stops of the bus on my desired route lets me plan the rest of my day accordingly.
I take my first trip on the No.1 Route, beginning at the Downtown Transit Center at Fifth Street and Monroe Avenue. I sit with Ivan Ballard, an Oregon State University student from Philomath, who takes the bus regularly between home and OSU. When asked about the bus experience, Ballard is succinct. "It's nice," he says. "And easy."
We are joined in the shelter by Yuliya Kostromitina, a 24-year-old blonde woman of Russian heritage. Yuliya was born in Labinsk, a town on the Black Sea, where she and her family always rode the bus. They did not own a car. She has been in the states since she was 9 years old - long enough to remove almost every trace of her Russian accent. She is happy and outgoing; she offers us chocolate. Ivan declines. I am amazed. I never, ever refuse chocolate.
Yuliya works at College Hill High School, an alternative high school located in the old Harding Elementary School (the part not condemned due to earthquake vulnerability). She is on her way back there after lunch downtown. While we are on the bus she talks about the kids who attend her school. "Some are at risk," she says. "Occasionally disruptive. It's interesting to see how they respond to him." She points at the bus driver. "He makes a real connection to some of them."
After she departs the bus, I move up to the seat farthest forward and strike up a conversation with the driver. His name is Bill Yelland. Thoughtful and well spoken, Yelland has been driving buses for more than 42 years, the last 11 in Corvallis. He drove for many years in Seattle and describes Corvallis as a much better place for a driver. "It's not just that the traffic is more forgiving," he says, "although that's a part of it. It's more the people; people here are nicer, easier to get along with. It's an encouraging place to do this job."
When I ask him about the youngsters on his bus, Yelland smiles. "I like the kids; I root for them and it's gratifying when they succeed. That's another thing about Corvallis; this is a community where people participate in the lives of their children."
Drivers bid on their routes and receive them based on seniority. Most, like Yelland, prefer to stay on the same routes.
"Passenger satisfaction has as much to do with consistency as anything else. They know what to expect if they see the same driver day after day and so do we."
"What's the most important part of the job?" I ask.
"Safety, obviously," he answers. "No mistakes, no excuses. Number two is to never be early. People can live with us being a few minutes late, but if we arrive and leave before the scheduled time well, we don't want to do that."
As I am leaving, an elderly woman struggles up the stairs.
"Hello, young lady," Yelland says.
"Hi, Bill," she answers.
Pat Wray is a freelance writer and longtime local resident. His general-interest columns can be found in this section on alternate Fridays. He can be reached at patwray@comcast.net.