FARGO — For many, public transportation is a necessity for getting to work, the store or really anywhere. But this time of year, some may have to battle with more than the freezing cold; inches or sometimes feet of snow near where they have to board.
After a winter storm, MATBUS clears the snow from their over 100 bus shelters in the metro area, but that's not the same for bus stops.
"Our bus stops do not get cleared, because most of our bus stops are (...) a stop on a pole on a boulevard where there's grass," said Jordan Smith, Assistant Transit Director overseeing fleet facilities for MATBUS.
He says they don't clear bus stops because it's a battle that would take forever to fight.
"You know, we're not going to go in and clear a boulevard that's just grass. One, we don't want to do any damage, and two, we'd have thousands of bus stops to have to clear," said Smith.
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The only time they will is when the sidewalk is the bus stop, except if the sidewalk is in a residential area. Then the residents or property managers are responsible for clearing the snow.
For those who can't get to a stop, Smith says people should try to aim for clear ground near one.
"(It) could be a sidewalk, a crosswalk, a driveway, an approach or something like that to to go there and flag the bus down to be able to safely board the bus at a place that's clear, rather than trying to climb over and down a four-foot snowbank."
If a bus shelter is covered or surrounded with snow, visit MATBUS.com to fill out a contact form, or give them a call at 701-232-7500 to let them know.
