We have a pretty comprehensive bus system up here. Its actually free for me too, since I'm a student. I just have to figure out how to use it. Its just too much fun to drive.

 

I use it when I go into the City (chicago), But my town doesnt habve any.

 

I live in a fairly small city with no distinctive downtown except for "Old Town". There's no way we could have a bus system or trollies or anything of that nature. However, we don't even have a known taxi service. The closest taxi office is across the Bay in Mobile. I see a taxi once every blue moon.

 

Do you live near a city? How is your public transportation there? Reliable? Easy to find where you're going? Clean? Safe?

I live in Philly now, and it made me think of it now that SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) is on strike. EVERYBODY has a car now apparently, but almost all of them forgot how to use them. I never really grasped how many people relied on it without physical evidence of it until now.

The Philly train stations are pretty dirty, and they're definitely old. The Broad Street Line used to be ranked in the Nation as one of the most dangerous...I can see how too. They aren't the easiet to figure out either, and I've lived in Philly for a total of about 6 years now and still have no idea where to pick up a bus or know where it'll take me. Luckily I don't need it.

Chicago (in my little bit of experience) was the easiest city to figure the trains out in, and that certainly helped the trip and my view of Chicago. Airport to hotel to ball fields to Sears Tower....everywhere.

How about near you? Best system you've ever been on?

 

Back about 10 or 15 years ago, Vancouver had the best transit system in North America (for it's size). Now, I have a hard time believing that. Mind you, back then, I took a bus wherever I needed to go, if I didn't have a car available to me. But with budget cutbacks, and increased fares, it just isn't possible.

Once, about 5 years ago, my wife insisted I take a bus home from work rather than come and pick me up. Well, what was normally a 1 hour trip (I've done it before) turned into a 3 1/2 hour fiasco. I was also actively pursuing employment with the bus company. Well, after that, I decided not to take the job. I still take a bus on short trips though, from the Vancouver Molson Indy to my mom's house. Then I get into my truck and drive the rest of the way home.

It seems with all the cutbacks, and political bs, to get where you want to go, you have to hop a bus to a "central hub" and transfer to another bus to another hub, onto another bus to get where you're going. It used to be you'd only have to transfer once. I looked into taking a bus to work, but it would mean I'd have to get out of the house at 4 in the morning, and not get home until well after 8.

I think, if I still lived in the city, the bus service is fine. My mom gets around great on the bus. But out in the 'burbs, it just doesn't cut it.

 

Where I live the bus system is designed for going into the center city. i give a co-worker a ride home I can get him there befere he could catch the bus and then have a one hour ride

 

the Transit Authority of River City, TARC for short, in Louisville is great! it goes anywhere in the city! i can get to work on the bus or on my bike, faster than i could in my car. And fares are only a dollar to go anywhere and transfers within a 3 hour period are free. Ive been disapointed about may aspects of Louisville, but TARC rocks!

 

I cannot stand public transit, I would way rather spend my cash on gas that is way too expensive, and drive!

 

We have Trams/trains and buses all over the city.
I usually use them
Or I walk...

 

Overall, we have somewhat of a good transit system here, though I would still drive to where ever I have to go to.

Certain areas I wouldn't even drive into, let alone ride the bus.

Certain buslines here do have their problems, though. Gangs.

The cablecars here are fun to ride.

 

I would not want to rely on public transport if I had a schedule to keep but my most recent experience was surprisingly good.

I had to get to LAX airport from my office in Walnut. I decided I didn't want to drive to LAX(1hr+), park for about a week($10/day) then have to get a ride to LAX to pickup my car. I was on a one way trip and planned to drive back from Oregon so I would not be able to just leave the airport and get in my car.

So I left the car at work and hopped the bus just down the street from my office. I did a web search for the bus schedule and even the MetroRail service. This was probably the hardest part of the trip. Finding the info wasn't easy since I didin't really know what the bus service was called etc. The metrorail was a bust since it had only a few trips at rush hour and I needed to hit LAX at about 4PM. Once I got the right webpage, the search feature set me up with the correct schedule to meet my timing and gave me specific directions on which bus and what side of the street to stand on.

The trip from Walnut was rather pleasant and took me thru neighborhoods I had never seen before. Waited on the bus in El Monte at the transit center, piece O' cake, and screamed down the freeway to downtown. Changed buses down at 15th and I forget in Downtown LA, just a block away from where I worked in a garage(15th and Olive) when I was 15 long ago. How things changed. It was interesting watching the different people going about their business. Bus from there took me directly to LAX transit center and travelled thru many interesting neighborhoods I had not seen before, and I used to drive all over LA since the early 70s to 90s.

At the LAX transit center I took the shuttle, just like i would if I had parked my car there, like I usually do. Elapsed time was about 2hours and I was relaxed, saved over 100 miles on my car and probably $20 in gas, $70 in parking, and having to get a buddy to drive me to pickup my car.

All it cost me total for the whole trip was $4. Can't beat that with a stick. and I had a pretty good time.

Very nice but like I said, I wouldn't want to have to rely on it since if you miss your connection you have a big time slippage.

I am 6'4" and not delicately built so I guess I don't have to worry too much where I am, at least in daylight on a bus.

Jim Henderson

 

I definately agree with nick on this TARC in Louisville is an excellent service and has some very reasonable fares. I didnt realize how nice it was until I've been stuck up here in West Lafayette and I've had to use their CityBus crud. Takes me over an hour and a half just to get to wal*mart, about 10 mi. away. Walking or biking is much less time consuming up here up here

Only thing Louisville's public trans is really lacking IMHO is a light rail system between the airport and downtown.

Dave

 

I only use public transit when I go to concerts in Atlanta. It saves me alot of hassle. It is difficult if not impossible to find parking unless you park at the marta station. Plus it keeps me out of traffic jams and trims about an hour off getting to the concert location.

 

I'm in the same boat as some others, my town is too small to have any real public transportation. We've got a few busses, but even they're on E-series chassis.

Portland has really good public transport, though. If I'm going up for a day, I usually park in Beaverton and ride the train in to town. $4.50 gets you an all-day Tri-Met pass that let's you ride the bus, light-rail trains, and the Portland Streetcar system. Portland is pretty spread out, but they seem to be pretty good about having a bus stop within reasonable walking distance of train stations. Haven't had to call a cab while I was up there yet.