Collegiate Times

Dear Blacksburg Transit, I get it. I really do. You took a look at the academic calendar and noticed there are no classes on Friday — Virginia Tech is on a fallbreak. Perhaps students may take the opportunity to go home, leading to a lower demand for BT’s top-notch service. A reduced schedule sounds pretty reasonable. Perhaps, though, you should have checked out another calendar: the 2011 home football schedule. 

As most of us know, the University of Miami football team is storming into town this weekend. Along with them will be a surge of thousands of alumni, students and fans flooding the New River Valley. Many of them will seek refuge in the fine restaurants and bars of downtown Blacksburg. Unfortunately, they may find themselves stranded at the corner of Main Street and College
Avenue.

Dramatic hurricane puns aside, I find it strange that BT is operating on a reduced schedule, while the population of Blacksburg swells in size for 72 hours. The BT provides an incredibly valuable service of safe transportation throughout our beloved town. 

Cutting off service early while thousands of students, alumni and fans are celebrating all that downtown Blacksburg has to offer — and hopefully a Virginia Tech win — seems irresponsible. Come closing time this Friday and Saturday, I hope everybody is able to find a safe ride home.

- anthony cosentiono, class of 2005

A version of this article appeared in the Oct 6 issue of the Collegiate Times.