A mere three years ago, getting to UNCW from downtown was a snap for commuter students and university staff: hop on either of the two eastbound Wave Transit buses near the main station on North Second Street, wait 20 minutes, and, presto, get off at South College Road and walk to class or work.

That all changed on March 31, 2008, when, against the advice of nearly everyone, Wave instituted a new route system that, among other changes, ran all downtown-to-campus buses through one of two transfer points — behind the Target on New Center Drive or at Independence Mall — requiring a connection to the new 102 route to complete the trip. In theory, this would add 30 minutes to the typical journey. Hence, the daily round-trip commuter was asked to sacrifice five hours out of his or her week. To the surprise of no one sensible, ridership plummeted.

Actually, matters were far worse. Wave drivers and commuters alike immediately recognized that the new 105 and 201 routes arriving at the transfer points were too long and featured too many stops to be reliably completed in the allotted 30 minutes, particularly during peak travel times. Passengers in the know could ask that drivers call ahead to hold the transfer buses, but such requests regularly went unheeded. In effect, this meant that commuters had either to budget 30 additional minutes to catch an earlier bus or risk missing the transfer buses, as well as work or class. The result was that, in order to ensure punctual arrival at UNCW, one had to leave downtown 90 minutes prior to the target arrival time.

At average adult human walking speed, the five miles between downtown and UNCW requires approximately 75 minutes. If there were ever a reliable metric for useless public transportation, comparing poorly with foot travel would surely qualify. Combine this with the fact that Wave still doesn’t go to Wilmington International Airport and hasn’t been able to negotiate a deal to service Wrightsville Beach, and you have an object lesson in futility: a transport system that has grown worse even as increased fuel prices and worsening local traffic spurred by population growth have demonstrated the need for alternatives to driving. Just for fun, Wave instituted a substantial rate hike, from $1 to $1.50, following the changes. Since regular Wave patrons are often Wilmington’s poorest residents, the burdensome changes combined with the fare increases are a classic combination of insult and injury.

Really, though, Wave is but a symptom of a larger problem. Combined with Wilmington’s lack of sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian bridges, more than a handful of bike lanes, or reliable and affordable cab service, Wave’s stubborn ineptitude joins a familiar chorus: if you don’t want to drive everywhere, you may wish to consider living somewhere else. If Wilmington wants to outgrow its reputation as an overgrown small town, this is something that needs to change.