It's not though. For the first time in years they've removed all slow zones from the T. It's not perfect, but it's absolutely improving under Phil Eng.
Commuter rail rarely runs on time, routinely cancels without notice, and has constant delays due to signal issues and even leaves. To the slow zones: our experience has been that they miss deadlines, then “complete” work only to revert back 48 hours later for weeks of additional work. All under Eng.
My teenager was trying to lecture the world: "I'd fix global warming by making everyone vegetarian and get them to ride bikes instead of cars!" "What if you started with you?" I responded."I ride THE PUBLIC BUS DAD", she said.
I've commuted my 6km trip to work by transit a few times. I'm in Milton, ON where all buses lead to the GO station, so the total including walking to the bus stop, bus to the station, wait for the 2nd bus and then walk to work totals 40 minutes. And I arrive either 10 min late or 20 min early.
Best options for me: e-bike in warmer weather, and in winter I drive and park 1km away and walk the rest just to get some exercise. Both choices: about 25 minutes.
Living in the SF Bay Area, my options were 1) sit in hours of traffic and pay insane parking fees, 2) carefully avoid mugging and/or sexual assault but never avoid being yelled at on the unreliable public transit that looks like a post-apocalyptic movie set. And I guess 3) a swift death on a bicycle
My only point is, we need better options. We need our municipalities and regions to invest in bike paths and public transit. Anyone who has been to the EU knows it can be so much better. SO MUCH BETTER. Your local elections matter.
especially once I integrated the bike into the mix, parts of it were genuinely pleasant! But I also hate driving, to an extent that is a little individual.
Me too! Realized that although I'm a confident and capable driver, I resent time spent behind the wheel. Reworking my routines to be by bike as much as possible. Amazing how much better it works if I bike at each end so I don't need to take use more than one transit operator per trip
We have so little coordination between agencies here in the Bay Area that each transfer per trip compounds the unreliability of the whole in dramatic ways
I will say many many years ago when gas was up to 4 dollars I researched what it would take to do my short comments by bus - it would have taken 50 min to an hour, required a half mile walk and a bus change. So I stuck with car
I already know the bus to shuttle commute takes 20 minutes longer than biking & I have to leave 25 minutes earlier, but I'm OK with that, as long as it's not every day.
I’m mulling this topic because of a project with students, and in conversation with the client, I told her the story of trying out the transit option for my commute (25 miles to the office); currently, I can’t do it without extending my day by over 3 hours for a 40 minute by car drive.
I lived in Bangkok until recently. They have a solid, expanding transit system that can get you fairly close to most places. I walk around 12 miles a day there. Here in the suburbs of St. Louis, transit is very limited. (I don't use it.) With 20 mins of treadmill, I might walk 5 miles a day.
When I lived in Rochester I walked 1.25 miles to the nearest bus stop, transferred downtown, and caught a second bus for a nearly 2 hour trip each way to work. I started driving after an ankle injury and reduced my commute to 16 minutes. I hated every second. I haven’t driven since I left.
Unfortunately most communities in the US have no mass transit at all.
Additionally, the US has a serious cultural problem with mass transit, in that most people view busses/trains as being exclusively for poor people who would drive if they could only afford it.
Getting around by bus adds some time compared to driving, but the benefits... I can relax or take care of other stuff while I'm on the bus. I can just check the schedule and go, without having to consider gas/parking/etc. I don't need to plan around being alert/sober enough to drive. It's nice!
I am commuting from W. Heights to Far Rock and back pretty much since August 2011. Mostly on the A train. Sometimes, to mix it up, 1 train to 96thh, 3 train to Park Place, walk to Fulton, get a bagel, get on A. Since pandemic, I do LIRR too. It's the only time I can catch up with my thoughts.
When I am in Croatia, which is 2 months out of the year, I am forced to drive. In average 10,000 KM in two months. I gotta be honest, I both love it and hate it. I am sure, I would enjoy more if there was a Subway between Karlobag and Zadar lol.
i used to commute via MARC to DC everyday. It was very convenient just took pretty long. Ok for me at the time, but with more life commitments difficult to sustain. We need more and faster mass transit!
Medium sized and small cities and towns have buses in most states. Most. You can fight for better public transit in town centers.
Rural will have limited service by design because vehicles are needed to carry crops, shoulders for tractors. No excuse not to park and ride when in town.
Obviously you have never visited those small cities and towns for more than a few days and tried to rely on those non existent buses, taxies, or other public transportation.
If you are driving from a rural center you might as well drive where your going instead of to a bus stop to waste a bunch of time trying to take the limited bus service for basically no benefit
It helped my sanity to let someone else do the driving. I didn't have to be in control. I was free to read, assess my fellow passengers or gaze dreamily out the window, just another bozo on the bus. Humility is such a relief.
I got a driver's licence very late and used trains and minibus taxis for years in Cape Town. Helped me discover much more of the city than I would have from a car (because you work out different walking routes between train and office). Saw cool graffiti. Found the best cheap coffee spots
I did that when I first moved to Cape Town! I also learned the best slang and music, and found shops I otherwise would not have including a local tailor
I’m glad I moved to somewhere with a decent bus system. Not having to drive gives me time to listen to music and daydream, plus I never have to worry about finding parking when I go into the city.
Ugh, I wish I could do this. But the public transit options where I live (capital city of my state!!) has only busses with highly inconvenient routes & times for most of the places I need to go from our home (which is pretty close to downtown)
I don't have a public transit commute anymore, though I did for years. And recently went I had to go into Boston it was fun to take a commuter rail ride again! I'm trying to work public transit into my daily life when I can.
I think it's also helpful to think of taking public transit as a way to explore your community in a different way. Maybe you see some different neighborhoods for example.
Would be great if we had parking lots at major terminals to solve the last mile problem. Get people integrated, see how nice, easy, and cheap it can be. Experts emphasize it's about driving less than 2 miles. But anti-car folks control the narrative, so access continues to be limited for many.
I already bike to work most days & was all ready to resolve to bus on inclement days... then I slammed my knee on Xmas night and can't do either. Yet. But I'm still resolved that when my knee can take biking (and walking 1/2 mile. And stairs) I'll commute car-free.
Great idea. Here in downtown Denver, the Rapid Bus Lanes are going in on Colfax (longest commercial street in a US city). Discount rates for seniors and grandkids are free! What’s not to ride?!?!
Atlanta transit commuting was great on the train, rough on the bus. you have to have one of those jobs where they don't care if you get in at 8 or at 830 or whatnot bc the buses are so infrequent and sometimes late
but if it's just car to train and no bus involved, it's great.
Comments
As I note in the piece many of us take on commutes that aren't actually our best option. It's useful to experiment.
And research has found that when 50%+ of our trips are by car our wellbeing drops
I lived without a car for years in a city that made it easy so I’m not opposed but it really is extremely inconvenient many places
Additionally, the US has a serious cultural problem with mass transit, in that most people view busses/trains as being exclusively for poor people who would drive if they could only afford it.
Rural will have limited service by design because vehicles are needed to carry crops, shoulders for tractors. No excuse not to park and ride when in town.
I think it's also helpful to think of taking public transit as a way to explore your community in a different way. Maybe you see some different neighborhoods for example.
Because that particular difference there is brutal.
I need my car for work during the day.
My wife works 75 mins from home. We have a kid in school. I take him to most appointments since she works far from home.
No other options. GM is 80….thats a no.
but if it's just car to train and no bus involved, it's great.