Who are the faces of the Wichita bus system? Most often, it’s those with no other choice.

While the flashing red sign inside Wichita’s buses may say to limit conversation with the operator, that won’t be necessary when you’re on Mario White’s route.

White has been driving for Wichita Transit for seven years. Before operating buses, he was busy catching them, something he thinks gives him a unique perspective as a driver.

“My golden rule was to always make sure I left the house two hours earlier than I needed to be somewhere … I remember having to chase the bus down two blocks,” White said, laughing.

This summer, two Wichita Eagle reporters spent a day riding the bus and talking to riders.

What they found is that some of those who ride the bus have formed communities. These individuals, who are disproportionately low-income, often rely on public transit as their only way of getting around the city.

Funding issues and shortened hours of operation for city buses often leave this population stranded.

These factors make White’s bus unique. His route is an anomaly in a bus system that often has few passengers and even less conversation.

Though his assignments shift to the needs of the transit system, White currently takes passengers along Route 201, which goes through North Rock and to East Harry.

John Vaden rides White’s route to get to his job at CLC Lodging, a travel agency in Wichita. When Vaden hops on White’s bus, though, they don’t talk about travel; they discuss all things hip-hop, R&B and more.

On an average day, White pulls up near Towne East Square, where Vaden boards just before 8 a.m. White greets Vaden with a, “What’s up, bro.” Vaden doesn’t bother with a hello, and instead begins the day’s half-hour conversation.

“Bro, I’m just trying to figure out how deep does this rabbit hole go with your boy Drake,” Vaden said, taking his seat near the front of the bus.

And their conversation is off. Vaden considers these brief discussions part of his daily morning routine.

“We discuss music and, you know, things especially dealing with the culture,” Vaden said. “I grew up in the culture; I grew up in hip hop. It’s something that is part of me.”

When Route 201 makes it to Vaden’s work, White still has five or so hours remaining of his shift.

Passengers filter on and off. Sometimes, a brief smile and greeting are exchanged; other times, White will catch friends up on his three kids.

“I like it here,” White said. “I like my customers.”

A lot of the time, though, White is a party of one. Being near the outskirts of the city and transit, the bus typically only fills up when people are coming and going from school and work. And even then, the bus is far from maximum capacity.

“Luckily, I entertain myself,” White said. “I constantly have some type of music playing in my head.”

Lower cost, but fewer riders

In 2016, Wichita Transit overhauled its bus system in the face of a limited budget, modifying existing routes while reducing monthly fare fees. Before the change, monthly bus passes cost $90, they’re now $55.

A single ride hasn’t changed in years, though, costing riders $1.75 per ride.

A month after the overhaul, ridership drastically declined, from 135,418 to 94,851 trips .

That number remained fairly consistent, averaging around 100,000 trips per month. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic sliced ridership in half. In April 2020, only 41,412 trips were taken.

To add to that, 189 bus stops were removed in 2021.

Since the pandemic, ridership has increased. In March 2024, 103,068 trips were taken, bringing ridership back up to pre-pandemic patterns, but still falling short of numbers before the 2016 overhaul.

With fewer passengers on the buses at a time, new communities formed. For White’s route, this comes in the shape of friendships and mutuality. But not all routes are as tight-knit as White’s.

Many rides have minimal conversation, if any.

Sometimes a driver will ask where someone is going, but often, the only noise that can be heard is the rush of wind, sounds of traffic and clattering as the bus runs over a bumpy section of road.

Linked through common experience

According to this year’s Wichita Transit state of the system report , a majority of bus riders live under the poverty line. Sixty-five percent of riders do not own a vehicle, 52% use the bus five or more times a week and a plurality have used the transit system for more than five years.

Delbert Pfeiffer, a frequent bus rider, describes himself as an “average Joe.”

Pfeiffer worked in construction for most of his life, picking up spine, shoulder, knee and ankle injuries. Eventually, he said, his body broke down so much that he could no longer ride his motorcycle around.

“My body is not working out right now,” Pfeiffer said. “I’m not able to ride a motorcycle no more.”

So, for the last two years, Pfeiffer has relied on Wichita Transit.

Pfeiffer remains optimistic despite his health. He attempts to chat with other bus riders and describes himself as “the happiest I’ve ever been.” When he first started riding the bus, he discovered how helpful the community of frequent riders was.

“I didn’t know where I was going, which bus to go on,” Pfeiffer said. “They help you out.”

Pfeiffer is a recovering addict who is currently sober. He, along with a majority of route 28 passengers, got off the mid-afternoon bus at Union Rescue Mission on Hillside, a shelter for those experiencing homelessness, addiction, poverty and other challenges.

Pfeiffer said when the buses aren’t available, he relies on friends for rides. Sometimes, this isn’t viable, and he has to cancel or postpone appointments when he has no means of travel.

“I’d like to go to church,” Pfeiffer said. “Not everybody is able to have a ride.”

“I wish it ran longer”

Pfeiffer had two main complaints about Wichita Transit: Most buses only run from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and don’t run at all on Sundays.

The Douglas Q-Line is the only route that runs past 7 p.m. It runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, it runs until midnight.

The Q-Line is free to ride and targets tourists, only traveling along Douglas between Riverfront Stadium and the VA Medical Center. The route also has one of the lowest ridership numbers, with only 160 daily boardings on the weekdays and not even 100 on Saturday.

According to the transit survey, 43% of employed bus riders in Wichita work on Sundays, and 38% work past 9 p.m.

Anthony Richmond is a member of the latter group. He said he works a third-shift job when no buses are running.

While Richmond owns a car, he said gas and insurance costs make Wichita Transit the cheaper option. That doesn’t make the post-work wait for a bus any less frustrating.

“Us third shifters, we have to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait, just to go back home,” Richmond said. “How is that fair?”

Richmond punctuated his frustration about the city’s public transportation with repeated profanities.

“I was thinking about quitting my (expletive) job because of this (expletive),” Richmond said. “I’m so tired of waiting all the (expletive) time.”

Thomas Reynolds, a soft-spoken Arkansas native, voiced similar concerns. Currently living in a motel near 27th and Broadway, Reynolds has to get on three different buses to make it to his job at Jimmie’s Diner on North Rock.

Reynolds typically works six days a week. When he’s scheduled on Sunday or after the buses stop running in the evening, he has to ask for a ride.

“I’m glad I have it, but I wish it ran longer,” Reynolds said.

Changing the system

Wichita is developing a Transit Network Plan to improve the city’s bus system. Penny Feist, Wichita’s interim transit director, said the city has sought feedback from riders and non-riders, with more-frequent and later service being the main issues.

The change isn’t simple, though. Any increase in service would require more funding.

“If we’re talking about later service across town or if you’re talking about Sunday service especially, you’re talking about more buses,” Feist said.

Des Moines; Little Rock; and Toledo, Ohio, buses all run on Sundays and service earlier in the mornings and later at night than Wichita Transit, despite each serving a smaller population.

Wichita Transit receives the lowest funding levels compared to “peer systems,” according to the transit report .

In 2022, Wichita Transit received just over $2 million from its local government and operated with $13 million in total funding. Des Moines’ bus system generated over $14 million locally and had a $33 million budget overall.

That gap in funding means people like Richmond and Reynolds are left behind.

“Truthfully, if they had four, five, six buses that were like 24 hours, it would help out a lot of people,” Richmond said.

Making do

While some riders have cite grievances about Wichita Transit, others are simply grateful it exists.

For Jerry Proctor, a retiree living at a retirement home near 13th and West, the bus gives him something to do during the day. He’ll often ride the empty route through Maize Road, stopping at Walmart or other stores.

“It’s the only way I can get out,” Proctor said.

A Wichita native, Proctor began using the buses 30 years ago. Before then, he got around in a car.

“I got tired of driving,” Proctor said. “I noticed when I had a car … I was a nervous wreck. So I started riding the bus.”

But Proctor doesn’t see riding the bus as a chore. In his words, “it’s fun.”

“I look at it like a tour,” he said.

Haley Jenkins and Joe Thompson both ride Wichita’s buses. Both are recovering from addictions and before this summer, the two friends hadn’t seen each other in over a decade.

“(We) just reunited after, like what, 13 years?” Jenkins said. “We were in our active addictions (before), but at the same time, we were really young.”

Nearly 30 now, Jenkins said she’s got “nothing to show” for her life and is ready to move forward.

“I’m going moment by moment. My second-by-second sobriety is one of my biggest goals,” Jenkins said. “Wichita is a wonderful place when it comes to resources and taking care of their people, you just have to know your coping skills and your resources that are out there.”

When asked if she thinks the Wichita buses are reliable, Jenkins said, “definitely.”

“When it gets too hot, they’re even free ,” Jenkins said. “Because they don’t want their homeless on (the street.) There are so many homeless that die because they don’t have AC.”

Herbert Forbes has watched the evolution of Wichita Transit over the past 20 years. After a schizophrenia diagnosis, Forbes sold his car, deciding that it would be cheaper to ride the bus than pay for car insurance.

Now enrolled at Wichita State University in electronics engineering, Forbes uses the buses as his “only means of transportation.”

“It’s doing okay by me,” Forbes said.

Similarly to Forbes, Emily Cleaver used to get around by car.

After going to prison for a year, though, Cleaver lost “everything,” including her job and car.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do because I used to be a bartender, so I can’t go back to that,” Cleaver said while waiting at the transit center.

Despite being unsure about her future, one thing for Cleaver is certain.

“I’ll probably be taking the bus a lot more often.”

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