For the past month, a small, air-conditioned bus has spent weekdays migrating slowly up and down Southeast Water Avenue, offering free rides to oblivious customers. Since its July 9 start date, drivers pick up an average of one passenger during each of their two three-hour shifts—one during the morning commute, the other during evening rush hour. According to one driver, there have been several days in a row where the bus hasn’t had a single rider.
The publicly funded Water Ave Courtesy Shuttle doesn’t look like a free bus. Many on the Central Eastside assume it’s private shuttle for either a wedding party or a business association. And they’re not entirely wrong.
The shuttle was proposed by the Central Eastside Industrial Council (CEIC), a nonprofit chaired by a group of business owners, neighborhood association presidents, and developers who, among other things, recommend transportation programs to the city. The CEIC hopes the shuttle will cut down on vehicle emissions, discourage visitors from parking cars in their rapidly growing business district, and help people feel “safe” in a neighborhood that’s home to a number of small homeless encampments.
