6:00 a.m. The alarm goes off and Alisia Downing crawls out of bed.
6:30 a.m. After throwing on some clothes, Downing leaves her house in Rio Rancho and heads to UNM. Although she does not have a class until 9:30 a.m., she said she leaves as early as possible to make it to school on time.
7:30 a.m. It takes her 45 minutes to get from her house to South Lot. She said depending on the traffic and the day, it can take her up to an hour to arrive at UNM.
7:50 a.m. Now comes the hard part: Trying to get on the bus, she said. Normally, she waits about 20 minutes for the shuttle to arrive. That's about 10 minutes short of the longest she's ever waited. As the buses begin to get crowded, she said students focus on themselves, because they are all trying to get to class on time.
8:00 a.m. Downing arrives at UNM and is early to her first class, scheduled at 9:30 a.m.
Usually, she said, getting to school takes her longer, but this day was more efficient than others. With the unpredictable traffic and shuttle system, she said she doesn't take any chances.
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2:00 p.m. After a day of classes, Downing is back at the bus stop waiting for the shuttle once again. Crowds of chattering people gather as they edge closer to the front of the line. But Downing is in no hurry. She is waiting patiently in the back of the line for a shuttle to take her back to South Lot.
- Paula Bowker
