The Magic Blue Bus: A Bi-Co Sanctuary

On a blustery Thursday morning, the Blue Bus pokes its head around the corner of College Avenue. Denim-clad and hoodie-wearing students adjust the straps on their backpacks in anticipation as the vehicle glides into view of Haverford College’s campus. The bus grinds to a halt in front of the agglomeration of people and opens its doors.

The iced coffee-wielding crowd clambers up the stairs sleepily and settles into the blue seats lining the bus’s interior. Some momentarily take off their headphones to wish the bus driver a good morning, while others offer him a small smile. A few unlucky late-comers find that there are no more desirable seats and position themselves next to a sturdy-looking pole, anticipating a bumpy journey. Everyone turns their head to face the front of the bus, waiting for the magic to begin. 

When the clock strikes 11:10 AM, the glass doors close, the metal frame groans, and the bus jolts to life, sighing as it starts another leg of its journey.

The Blue Bus has been in use since the late 1960s. A part of daily life for many Haverford and Bryn Mawr students, the Blue Bus is an efficient and reliable mode of transportation. It cycles between Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College at 15-minute intervals, adhering to a fixed schedule. This Bi-College campus fixture, known for its namesake azure hue, has been used both as a theme for Plenary and a popular sticker design. When given the opportunity, current and former students alike eagerly share their favorite Blue Bus stories. 

The bus travels 136 miles each day, repeating the eight-minute trip between campuses over a span of 18 hours.  In the morning, the bus is less crowded and markedly quiet, but its seats and aisles fill with boisterous students letting off steam from class by early afternoon. At night, the bus falls silent again, save for Fridays and Saturdays, when spirits (and maybe some students) are high. On these days, uninhibited laughter rings clearly through the darkness. The daily rhythms of the Blue Bus contribute as much to the fabric of campus life as the struggle to find an open table at Lutnick Library on a Sunday night or the superiority of New Dorm food to that of the Dining Center.

The Blue Bus is a place to escape life’s problems, to make and catch up with friends, and to start a night out. The enigmatic sensation of riding the bus provides a unique opportunity to reflect and de-stress. Through space and time, the Blue Bus connects two campuses that inspire, empower, and care for each other.

As the Blue Bus weaves its way through traffic, it hisses and chatters. The frame of the folded wheelchair-accessible ramp at the rear complains with every bump in the road. Today’s ride is relatively silent, save for two girls (definitely Bryn Mawr) gossiping loudly about one of their boyfriends. Their voices rise and fall as the bus charts its course across Haverford Station Road. 

After the bus passes the Haverford train station, it pivots hard onto Montgomery Avenue. Brakes screech. Backpacks slide into the aisle. Students fall out of their seats. Regathering their belongings and bearings, everyone looks out their window, scanning the residential landscape for the freshly painted lavender house with the white trim. The view down the never-ending street is a comforting place to become lost in thought.

Carly Priest, a Haverford junior, says that the best part about the Blue Bus is unexpectedly running into a friend. She smiles when recounting her first few rides, explaining that she made a new friend by consistently sitting next to him. “The Blue Bus is a great place to chat,” Priest shares. For her, the setting provides a casual way to get to know someone better or for the first time, even if the bus goes too fast over speed bumps and makes tight turns.

Since the 1960s, the Blue Bus has provided students with easy access to opportunities at the Bi-Co, including classes, clubs, food, and parties. Throughout the years, the Bryn Mawr Transportation Department has increased the size of the Blue Bus fleet to the current figure of nine buses, seeking to accommodate the growing student body at both colleges. 

Steve Green, the Director of Transportation at Bryn Mawr, believes the future of the Blue Bus is bright. He envisions the fleet’s growth and implementation of more electric buses to accommodate the anticipated increase in ridership. This expansion may increase the annual maintenance expenses of the Blue Bus network, which currently cost a minimum of $50,000 to $60,000. Green, a 39-year employee of Bryn Mawr College, believes this is a small price to pay to maintain “the link that connects the Tri-College community.” Considering his role at the college, he shares, “The college experience is an important part of the student’s life. It’s an honor to be able to contribute to that experience in a positive way.”

The view from the Blue Bus is best through the driver’s seat. Drivers wear an all-black outfit, complete with a Bryn Mawr Transportation cap and name tag. They grip the wheel firmly when driving, aware that their job requires keeping passengers safe. Arnold Zimmerman, one of the 11 drivers on staff, echoes a sentiment shared by his fellow employees; he attests that most Blue Bus riders are polite. “My job is easy,” he says. “The students make it easy.” Drivers like Zimmerman enjoy getting to know students and often develop personal relationships with outgoing riders.

Zimmerman turns the radio to the R&B station when he drives. Some of his colleagues do the same, while others play hip-hop, soul, or pop music. Live hotline talk shows are not uncommon. No matter what is playing, the ambiance of the Blue Bus is bolstered by the person driving the bus.

The journey is almost up when the street signs start turning from Haverford burgundy to Bryn Mawr navy. Making one final precarious turn, the Blue Bus pulls into its designated spot in front of Pembroke Arch, marking the end of its eight-minute journey. The bus relaxes, assumes a comfortable position, and opens its doors.

Already waiting in the aisle, students descend the stairs, murmur their thanks to the bus driver, and head to their destination. Once everyone on the bus departs, the line of students waiting by the bus stop starts to board. They fill the still-warm seats previously occupied by the last wave of riders. Rather quickly, the bus starts to feel packed, but its passengers squeeze to make room for the last few people rushing up the stairs. As Haverford junior Olivia D’Aulerio observes, “On the Blue Bus, we make everyone fit.”

Today, just like every day, the bus and its driver sit in the warmth, smile at students as they board, and prepare for the journey.