Susie Rice is passionate about badminton. She was very happy when Lawrence Parks and Recreation began offering open badminton for seniors on Tuesday evenings at the Sports Pavilion. She was also very happy that she could ride the bus to get there and back.

By taking Route 6, Susie can transfer to Route 9, which drops her off right in front of the Sports Pavilion. She always schedules her ride home in advance on Lawrence Transit’s Night Line service, since it is after 8 p.m. when she gets done. It works well since Night Line runs from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., only costs $2.00, and will take you anywhere in Lawrence.

Susie and her husband Kevin are both retired and do not own a car. When Kevin worked in Kansas City, he used their only car for commuting. During that time, Susie learned to rely on Lawrence Transit to get her wherever she needed to go. When Kevin retired, they realized they could save a lot of money by not owning a car any longer. They could get wherever they needed to go by riding the bus.

Susie says the bus system in Lawrence works great for them, providing all day schedules and a night service after 8 p.m.

Kevin rides the bus every day to get around. He enjoys doing the grocery shopping, going to the Senior Center, and just getting out and exploring Lawrence by bus. As a couple, they also took the city bus to the “Kansas” concert at the Lied Center and rode the Night Line bus home.

Susie likes to try new bus routes when they are first introduced. She looks at all of the places she can visit by bus just in case she ever needs to go there. She memorizes the times the bus will be leaving when she is in a store or running an errand so she doesn’t miss the bus. She mostly rides routes 6, 9, 7 and 11. She also rides the K-10 Connector occasionally to visit her dad in Kansas City.

They both realize that someday they may need to use the T Lift paratransit service, but in the meantime riding the fixed route service works well for them, plus it provides them the exercise and freedom that they need to stay healthy for the long term.

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