Every morning, 400 people wait for the number 9 bus in Riverton. The bus comes at 9:00, and then at 9:40. So the wait is long, and many riders are late.
Last month, a stormy week broke the plan. The roads were wet and cold. The bus came two hours late, and Mei missed a test. Mei says, "I need a bus, not a guess." That stormy week gives the city a new idea.
The city asks riders for short notes. Riders send 1,200 notes and numerous letters. So the city puts a small box at the stop. The box counts people, and the numbers fix the schedule.
The plan adds a storage room for bikes at the stop. Now Mei rides to the storage room, and takes the bus.
The new idea stirs a long talk at the bus office. Some drivers do not like the box, because it watches their hours. But the plan continues, and it stirs more interest in town.
The city wants to engage young riders, so it adds a phone app. The app engages students, and then their parents. One correction moves the bus to 7:20, and that change helps 60 people. "Every correction comes from the notes," says Bo.
Now the bus comes at 7:20 and at 8:00. Mei is late only once a week. On Sundays she works as a volunteer at the stop. Riverton still has one old bus, but it has a new habit. The town tells its hour, and the bus listens.