Public Transportation- You Use It?

[DancingSweetie]

I live in Boston. The "T" (the train system here in the city) is right outside my front door. It is great, and when I worked in an area that it served, I took it everyday. When I go out at night I'll either take the "T" or a taxi cab. It's just so much easier than trying to drive and find parking (which is outrageously expensive) anywhere downtown. When I didn't own a parking space in a garage, it was my steady form of transportation. For I live on Commonwealth Ave, and parking is at a minimum. Now I own 2 indoor garage spaces, so going out in the evening and taking the car is a lot less stressful. Before, if I took the car out after 5pm I'd have to drive around, sometimes for hours, in hunt for a space.
Public transportation in Boston is OK, but it doesn't run very late. If you plan on being out past 12:30, expect to take a cab ride home. There is a new system that they are testing out in which busses run until 3AM, but they only go to a small amount of areas in the city. Since they are located in the areas of populated night clubs, often they are packed to the max with a lot of drunk people. I'd much rather pay for a cab in that case. Luckily most of the places I go to are either just outside the city and provide parking or are within walking distance to my place.

We don't have anything like that here in Sacramento, just the light rail but it isn't very convenient. Whenever I fly out to NH to see johnnydnh, if I don't fly into Manchester I like to fly into Logan and I take the subways from the airport to the North Station, where I get on the Downeaster. It stops right in Exeter, a couple blocks from his house. It is fun for me since I don't get to do that very often.
It was really sweet when I came out for Christmas, looking out at the snowy scenery. The conductors walked through the cars singing Christmas carols, it was a nice touch.

 

[Jay]

This is what happens when prices are fixed, you get a black market Steak'n'Shake syndicate.

Never thought of it that way. I like it.

 

[Pilgrim]

In Fort Collins, colorado, population @120,000, the bus system absolutely stinks. For me to hop a bus means a half-mile walk from my home (in a nice neighborhood), plus a transfer to get to my work about five miles away. Total time one-way: about an hour. I can drive it in 10 minutes or less, and bike to it in about 20.

Although the city government here has spent millions to add bus and pedestian lanes along a couple of major roads, I'll believe they are are serious about public transportation when i can walk no more than a couple of blocks to catch a bus and travel that five miles to work in 20 minutes or less.

 

[carebear]

In Fort Collins, colorado, population @120,000, the bus system absolutely stinks. For me to hop a bus means a half-mile walk from my home (in a nice neighborhood), plus a transfer to get to my work about five miles away. Total time one-way: about an hour. I can drive it in 10 minutes or less, and bike to it in about 20.

Although the city government here has spent millions to add bus and pedestian lanes along a couple of major roads, I'll believe they are are serious about public transportation when i can walk no more than a couple of blocks to catch a bus and travel that five miles to work in 20 minutes or less.

That's the big problem with public transportation in sprawling cities. It is inefficient and expensive to get the kind of coverage people would actually use. And in most newer (post-auto boom) Western cities, the downtown itself is too dispersed to allow realistic walking once you get in there. The benefits of public transpo just can't outweigh the negatives.

To get good, usable public transportation requires you and your fellow citizenry to ask for it and pay for it. If all the other voters and taxpayers find it cheaper and easier to drive you won't get it. Which is why you and I and so many other townspeople never will.

Economically rightfully so.

 

[raiderrescuer]

Working Hours...

My working hours are so screwy I cannot take advantage of Public Transportation or Carpools. Can't find anyone who is up at 2:30 AM Tue, Wed, Thur besides the local paper delievers and an occasional City Drunk.

 

[McPeppers]

Hey Daisy...when yer on the green line are you ever compelled to surf the rotating coupling between cars? I know I am XD

 

[Rosie]

I'm in NYC but, my school is in a weird bus to train position from my home so FOR YEARS I took a cab to work everyday and sometimes during the afternoon if a friend didn't drop me off. The taxi only took five minutes, versus 35-45 minutes by public transport (which isn't long I know but in the morning, those extra 30 minutes are heaven). I've vowed this school year to only use public transport and have done so for the past few days. But, me knowing me, as soon as more than a drizzle, or a few extra snow flakes come down, I'm hopping a cab. lol When I go into the city, I usually take the train in and back if it's during the day, if it's night, I'll take a taxi. I'm the taxi queen and have been known to take one out to LI or way up in the Bronx on a very hot, snowy, rainy day or if I am wearing a particular outfit, a white pantsuit comes to mind, or shoes, 4 inch, pink suede shoes which are cute but MURDER to walk in. Sometimes I'm dating someone who drives so then I don't have to worry about taxis.

I lived in Boston for about a month and lived right on the green line, so I took that wherever I needed to go. But like Daisy says, it only runs until about 12:30 or so so, I of course I took a taxi home when I was out late.

 

[Strider]

I use the buses and trolleys all the time here in San Diego.

 

[Paisley]

I take the bus to work. I am lucky because I work downtown and live close to a major bus line. It takes about 45 minutes door to door, which is about how long it takes me to drive. Why? The bus uses the HOV lane; I cannot. I also have to park a few blocks away, unless I want to pay more than $10 per day to park in the building where I work. Most days, I read on the bus or take a nap.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Living and working in the northern Westchester suburbs, I'm a frickin' driving machine, and have been for 15 of the last 20 years. (I *could* take a succession of buses from home to work, but it would probably take around three hours vs. a typically 50-minute drive.) For most of the 15 years before that, I worked in Manhattan and lived in the Bronx or Yonkers: I took public transport for all my commuting back then.

Frankly, both riding and driving commutes have their ups and downs. I'm master of my domain in the car (and I hear some great music on WFUV, WBGO, WKCR, WQXR, etc.), but I only manage a teeny fraction of the reading I used to get in on the trains or buses five days a week...

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I live in LA

Which means that for work, public transport is not viable. The monthly pass for transit costs more then my gas bill would, and the trips would take an additional hour and a half more then my 35 min drive.

That being said, I -love- public transport, and have lived in cities and places where it was how I got around. Two years in England taking buses and the London Tube on occaision.

In LA, I do actually use public transport, which the vast majority of my freinds think is strange and unusual to do. If I can get there by one of the Metro Rail lines, thats how I go. This holds more true when it is a trip to a crowded location like Hollywood. I take the train, and meet my freinds there, who can normally then give me a ride home.

I -wish- it was a financially viable work commute solution for me.

 

[Haversack]

Both my wife and I use public transportation on a daily basis. I walk about a mile to a Caltrain (heavy rail) station and ride it about 44 miles south to Silicon Valley. I transfer to a VTA lightrail trolley which drops me off about 1/4 mile from work. Evening is the reverse. In toto I walk about 3 miles a day. Leather Personnel Carriers are important. My wife will either take the bus (the infamous MUNI), or bike downtown to the Financial District.

Where we in in San Francisco is pretty well served by bus routes but not necessarily bus service. On weekdays, it is usually dependable for getting downtown. In the afternoon and on weekends, you tend to wait, and wait... Caltrain, on the other hand is very dependable and on time. They also keep getting faster with better scheduling. Over the years, my commute has gown from over 2 hours to just over an hour due to their improvements.

When we go out to dinner, we usually take a bus there, but cab home. Going downtown we usually bus it because of the difficulty/expense of parking.

Haversack.

 

[Lady Day]

MUNI MUNI MUNI

I live in the citay, and I use MUNI all the time. I rarely take Bart, and I huse to LIVE on Caltrain. This citay is pretty well wired. Even routes out of the citay by subway, train, and bus are good.

I dont drive or have a license, never have, so Ive always lived in cities with good PT.

LD

 

[Pilgrim]

Public transportation is a real challenge in any area except a major metro one. Otherwise, there just isn't the population density to sustain bus or light rail over the dispersed areas typical of US towns. That's really the problem here with our system. We just don't have the population density for the economics to work.

Exceptions tend to occur in university and college towns where students are spread out around town - in many cases the institution subsidizes the city to provide bus service and reduce traffic and parking on campus.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Yes!

This is how I get around, period. I used to rely on being driven, having no knowledge yet on how to drive, and so discovered public transportation. It's always been there, I just really didn't pay much attention. At one point I stayed around my neighborhood, and in my house. There isn't much to do around here. I was a bit frightened of the bus, but a friend of mine introduced me while coming back from a walk to the park. We got off, it wasn't anything special. Next we took to the subway, just to see. We took the Red Line to Hollywood and Highland. It was very convenient. One night I decided to research on how to get from my house to the subway station. I took it once, and called the same friend and asked if he wanted to meet at Hollywood and Vine. That was the first time I went alone on a bus, as well as the train. Since then, that's how I get around. I've found the bus system around my neighborhood not to be too efficient, but it's not a frequent public transportation user area. More efficiency is in the city. Thanks to the bus and the rail system, I've both gotten out of my house, and am quickly learning the streets. It's a wonderful experience for me. I've met many folks while taking it, seen many things, and most of all, am getting around.

Everyday is a new adventure aboard Metro. When I do learn to drive, I will to a certain extent, but the Metro system will still be a means for my transportation, depending on the destination. Some places like Disneyland for instance, are better off in a car. Many times I will pick a place to venture off to, not knowing where it is, or how to get there, and find my way through instinct. One of the best things about taking the bus, if there's not a crowd invading inside, is you have some time to yourself. You see the world at a slow pace, as in a car, you don't see it at all unless you're the passenger and even then. It's like being on a plane as apposed to a train.

I've been taking public transportation for months and am still learning the routes and streets. It's a good experience to have, even if you are going to work, you have a lot of time before you get there, and if you normally sleep till noon, or wake up early, taking the bus will make you more aware of time than a car would. "Oh I can get there in less than 20 minutes". An hour later you leave your home and are stuck in traffic. This is an exaggeration, but it happens. LA doesn't have the best transportation for getting around with a time limit, where you have to be in a certain place at a certain time, but it gives you an adventure to sail off to.

 

[deanglen]

I'm able to walk the 2.4 miles to the church I serve, unless I need my car to do other business. I'm convinced when drivers see me walking they think I've lost my license for some reason.

dean

 

[DancingSweetie]

I live in the citay, and I use MUNI all the time. I rarely take Bart, and I huse to LIVE on Caltrain. This citay is pretty well wired. Even routes out of the citay by subway, train, and bus are good.

I dont drive or have a license, never have, so Ive always lived in cities with good PT.

LD

Whenever my girls and I go to SF for the weekend we always take MUNI. I drive to the Haight district and find a free parking spot and we just get on a bus and go to all our favorite spots.
Sometimes we take Amtrack from Sac to SF, which is fun but takes a little more time. The kids love that.

 

[jazzbass]

Unfortunately, public transportation is useless for me. I'm a free lance musician and I may play a winerey in Napa one night, a restaurant in SF another, a party in Monterey another, etc. Even if public trans went where I play, I don't think the bus driver will pull up to the venue at 1:30 am while I load up my string bass and an amp or an electric bass and a huge amp and then drive me to my house.



jazzbass

 

[Twitch]

Miss Neecerie you hit the L.A. nail on the head. I've heard that from several folks about the actual cost and extra time versus their own car.

My wife works 2 miles away so the car is logical. I used to be in outside sales and had a company car. I worked one place for many years that was 10 miles. I needed my car which the company paid mileage for to use for work-related stuff. Then I ended up working 30-35 miles away in the valley and there is/was no feasible bus or rail alternative.[huh]

 

[ortega76]

I use public transportation about 50% of the time. I live in a college town so the bus system is pretty comprehensive. I generally take a bus if I work during the daytime but drive for my night shifts or for errands. At A $1 for a bus ride vs. $3 for gass, it's very economical.