It’s a good thing NIU has a fleet of buses ready to pick people up at regular intervals.

If it didn’t, there might be students standing in the cold for longer than expected, waiting for rides that don’t exist. It would be horrible. Imagine it, late to class, battling the elements of the weather, standing stranded while cars zip past.

But wait … last week’s Northern Star reported situations like this are common. In fact, they’ve become so regular, some students refer to it as a novelty to actually find a place on one of these for-the-student buses.

According to the article, many times buses drive past stops on routes because every seat is taken.

We commend the drivers for knowing when a bus has reached its capacity instead of putting passengers in danger by cramming people into every nook and cranny.

But we certainly don’t commend NIU for not fixing the problem.

If demand for buses is too high, get more buses.

Granted, it’s easier said than done, but little is being done to assure next winter doesn’t bring the same startling ignorance.

We’re in DeKalb. This place is freezing in the winter. Sure there will be more passengers during the cold months than the summer, and reaching a balance between the high and low demand months is vital. But it still doesn’t change that people are left stranded daily while their Huskie Bus zooms by, and they end up late for class.

It’s not fair to students who rely on the university as a form of travel. It’s not fair to their health or their academic performance if they continually are late to class.

Supplying an ample number of buses will both prevent health risks but raise morale and the level of trust students have in NIU.

We have more to say on the subject, but we’ve got a bus to catch … maybe.