Any of you use ground public transportation?

[shootingstar]

Just curious..if with or without bike, you use ground public transportation?

If yes, how often and for what purpose?

If no, is it because you don't have a good public transport options nearby or you can do everything you need by car /bike?

Folks, like me forget that some people might use ground public tranportation... maybe only every few years. :o

[Jolt]

Yes, I use the commuter rail and the T to get to school in Boston (depending on the semester it has been 3-5 days a week). It makes a lot more sense than driving because of the price of gas/parking and the fact that I can get reading done on the train as opposed to having all that unproductive time in the car. Plus, it pollutes less. I do have to say that the commuter rail line I use needs to expand service, and it would also be nice if they added capacity for bikes during peak hours (bikes currently not allowed on trains during peak hours because there's just not enough room). Then if I could only get up the guts to try riding in Boston...

[snapdragen]

I use our city's light rail if I'm going downtown. I avoid having to park, not to mention driving after an evening of partying.

I am, however, a bus virgin. I keep checking out the routes to work, one of these days I'll actually do it.:rolleyes:

[Fredwina]

I take the commuter train (I guess it's "heavy" rail:rolleyes:) to work w/ a bus shuttle to and from the work site,
It's about the same , (faster in the morning, slower in evening(but not much)) as driving, but less stress

[crazycanuck]

We do :)

I think the trains in Perth are pretty good! You can't take your bike on the train during peak hours but that doesn't bother me.

[mimitabby]

i take buses when i am too tired to ride or it's rainy or i'm lazy or a hurry.

[carpaltunnel]

Our bus routes don't reach most of the city (Omaha). They seem to think everyone works downtown too, so if I were to walk to the nearest stop about a mile away, I would have to change busses twice to travel four miles to the closest point to my job. Then a two mile walk from there towork.

I suppose I could do it but it's very time consuming and inconvenient.

[Xrayted]

We are currently selling our second car as we haven't touched it in months. The other car gets driven mostly on weekends when we go camping, visiting, need the room to haul things or just can't deal with the "public" part of public transit. :o

We take the bus most days to work otherwise we ride our bikes or motorcycles. We have to pay to park at work ($10/day, $200 month) so the discounted transit pass is way cheaper by far at $11/biweekly. It also covers the light rail and the streetcar (which also have bike racks). The cool thing is, since we are a major employer in Portland, we have expresses running quite regularly right up to the door and all around the hospital campus. Even Vancouver, WA has expresses to work. A majority of the employees take mass transit no matter where they live, at least part of the way. They've certainly made it easy to do so. As Jolt said, we read on the way or nap or... :o
Anytime we decide to go into Portland city (we live about 15 miles out), the airport, college... we always take a mix of bus and light rail. No worrying about finding a parking space, getting the car dinged, stolen, broken into,... One of the biggest reasons I moved here last year. Well, besides the bike friendly attitude and, of course, my DW. :rolleyes::cool:
Although, I must say, overall,we both would rather live in Eugene, OR. Their transit system is great too. The difference is, it's a small city/college town that has endless bike/walking paths that are totally useable to go anywhere you need to, not just to loop through a park, like here. And - it's blissfully flat!!!!! :D

X-onelesscarmostofthetime-rayted :D

[Crankin]

I will be taking the commuter rail to my classes in Cambridge starting in September (a different line than Jolt). There's no parking at all in Porter Square and the university highly discourages people from taking their cars. However, there's no student discount for the commuter rail, only for trolleys, buses, commuter boats. I felt a little weird about asking about the student pass at my age, but, I figured what the heck? The train home leaves at the same time as my last class ends, so I am going to try to get permission to leave 5 minutes early (the station is next door to the building where I will be). Otherwise, I will be hanging around an extra hour and 15 minutes, since it becomes off peak time, after 6:30PM.
The good thing is, the train station is 5 miles from my house and the local grocery store lets people park in their lot; otherwise, there's like ten spaces by the station. Parking at the local commuter rail stations is a real problem in the suburbs here. There just isn't enough space.

[indigoiis]

I ride to the bus (6-15 miles, depending on which bus I want to catch) on the days I don't ride all the way into Providence.

RIPTA buses all have racks - room enough for two bikes. The closer bus (6 miles from my house) already has two committed commuters who get on the bus (and take both rack spots) a few stops before mine. So if I use this bus, I have to lock my bike at the bus stop. If I go for the other bus, there's usually room for my bike.

RIPTA recently experienced a huge budget problem. Most of their revenue comes from the state in the form of gas tax revenue. So obviously, their income dropped this year. Combine this with a huge increase in ridership due to gas prices going up, and RIPTA has a problem. Now they say they will have to cut some longer routes - and both buses I can catch are being reviewed!

Ironic!

[OakLeaf]

Not available where I live in Ohio.

Where I live in Florida, within my town it's just as easy to bike. To go to the next town (20 miles) would be a 2 hour bus trip with 2 transfers. I could tighten that up a little by biking some of the way, but there are no safe biking routes at most of my ultimate destinations in the next town.

When visiting Europe, DC or NYC we always use public transport. The latter two cities are frequent destinations (family nearby); other US cities, we're not so familiar with the public transportation network, also more likely to have a rental car, so somewhat less likely to use public transport.

[roadie gal]

I would use public transportation if it was available. There's nothing up here.

Slightly on a tangent... I can't believe there's not a commuter train between San Francisco and Tahoe. There's a train that goes to Sacramento and then you have to take a local bus to San Fran. It takes about 7 hours (vs 4 in a car).

[Flur]

I ride the bus to and from work every day. When I lived in Hoboken I would take the ferry across the Hudson to NYC to work. I've had two jobs that I had to drive to in my entire adult life, and I avoid it like the plague. When we move, public transportation is one of the primary things we look at.

[shootingstar]

Part of my bike commuting route is parallel, to the aboveground light rapid transit train. Yes, it's easy to whimp out when it suddenly pours....

In Toronto, I lived for 14 yrs., 1/2 block away from a subway station in the suburbs. But during non snow/ice-seasons I biked to and from work 3-4 times per week where work was located downtown.

Took city buses most of my life before cycling and also during , though at different times I lived so close that I just walked. Walking was 1-3 kms. However it nearly boggles my mind that during first 2 yrs. of university I actually walked 16 kms. round trip daily with my heavy knapsack of books. And often enough in snowy season, wearing a heavy long wool coat.

[7rider]

Just curious..if with or without bike, you use ground public transportation?
If yes, how often and for what purpose?
If no, is it because you don't have a good public transport options nearby or you can do everything you need by car /bike?
Folks, like me forget that some people might use ground public tranportation... maybe only every few years. :o

What, exactly, do you mean by public ground transportation? When I think of "ground transportation" I think of the shuttle van that takes you from an airport terminal to the long-term parking lot at the airport. When I think "public transportation" I think of bus, subway, light and heavy rail.
Are you saying for work commuting, or for any transportation needs?
I have used all of the above - as I described them - mainly for work. The metro-D.C. area has some pretty good bus and rail networks. Often the source of public scorn and ire, but I find they are generally okay. If I am not riding my bike to work, I take the subway (that runs both above and below ground). I have taken the bus, but not often. Sometimes, if I'm in a rush, I'll take a cab. The cost gives me a start, but I do it rarely, so I deal.
We talk about getting rid of the second car and just going with Zip car or something, but it's just talk. Right now, the minimal cost of owning it is equal to the convenience of having it.

[shootingstar]

What, exactly, do you mean by public ground transportation? When I think of "ground transportation" I think of the shuttle van that takes you from an airport terminal to the long-term parking lot at the airport. When I think "public transportation" I think of bus, subway, light and heavy rail.
Are you saying for work commuting, or for any transportation needs?


For any personal tranportation needs., doesn't have to be work commuting. Hope the term "ground public transportation" I used meant, anything except for aircraft and watercraft. (Which the latter type, here in Vancouver can be quite real for some commuters. There is the SeaBus, a "ferry" shuttle that's under 10 min. if you can't cycle, drive or walk over the Lions Gate Bridge.)

In transportation government agencies, they use surface transportation. But let's not get into that, with the light rapid train running above our heads... :o

[Blueberry]

Sadly, ground transportation here is minimal, at best. We have no light rail, and have only local and regional bus services. The areas served are quite limited, and (due to the sprawl), one generally would have to combine bike and bus to make it practical (and to get anywhere in a reasonably amount of time). At my old job, I tried the "route finder." It was a 4 plus hour trip - 45 minutes by car. However, our buses are not really bike friendly. We only have 2 bike racks, and the buses run (even at peak times) not more than on the half hour. So, if you have to wait for 2 buses (which is not uncommon), you're an hour later. Doesn't seem to be much interest in changing it, either.

[NoNo]

I take the train to work, and walk to and from the stations. There is a bus that goes from the station to a stop down the street, but I've never taken it. And then there are mornings like today where I'm running just a few minutes late and have to drive to the station near my house:rolleyes: Aside from the train (which only runs along the shore), there isn't much to get you around here. There are some buses, but I've never really looked into them.

[Duck on Wheels]

I often yield to temptation and take the bus. During regular business hours, buses from just up the hill from my place all the way to campus run 10 to the hour. :cool: Almost too tempting to resist, but I do try to walk or bike most days. To and from the airport there are trains once an hour, busses every 20 minutes, and a sharecab system that takes you door to door. I choose among those depending on timing and weather. Just now I'm headed all the way from campus to downtown. Not all that far to walk, but would take more time than I want to spend on transport just now. So I'll bus down, then walk home -- after visiting the Medieval Faire and catching a Bobby McFerrin concert in the cathedral, that is. :D

[GLC1968]

We use the light rail all the time. It used to be pretty much our only mode of transportation into the city because our apartment was 100 yards from the station. We'd bike to work, and take the MAX to Portland.

Now that we live in the country, we bike to work (as much as possible). The last time we went into Portland, we drove to the last stop on the light rail and then rode it into town. Once winter rolls in, we'll probably use a combo of biking and the rail to work when the weather is bad.

When I travel, I prefer to use the public transit system over renting a car if it's at all possible. It's soooo much easier than having to deal with parking and traffic in an unfamiliar city.

[baskingshark]

I live in NYC - we've never owned a car in the city. I take public transportation or walk for every journey in the city, along with occasional rentals for vacations or the occasional cab/car service for early starts or late night journeys home.

I can't even imagine owning a car here - there's nowhere to park on the street and even if you can find a spot you have to move it on a regular basis and garages are very expensive. Add to that horrid traffic and crumbling roads, it's just not worth the stress.

[shootingstar]

So I'll bus down, then walk home -- after visiting the Medieval Faire and catching a Bobby McFerrin concert in the cathedral, that is. :D

Another Bobby McFerrin fan.. he's cool for what he does with his voice.. :D

Is there something different about the shared cab system in Norway from North America?

[Pax]

I take the bus once in a while. Unfortunately taking public transportation in our small city means taking a trip with many of my former clients, while I have no problem interacting with them I do find it very tiring to keep getting dragged back into that world.

[hermitclub]

I wish there was public transportation on Cape Cod, but sadly there isn't. We have something called the "B" Bus that seniors take to get to and from the grocery store, doctor's appointments, etc.

When I lived in Metro-West, I used the commuter rail and the T all the time. Now when I go to Boston, I drive to Quincy and then take the T into the city.

[Duck on Wheels]

Another Bobby McFerrin fan.. he's cool for what he does with his voice.. :D

Is there something different about the shared cab system in Norway from North America?

The concert was great!! He's a voice magician!! :p :cool:

As for how cab-shares here differ from there, I wouldn't know. How it works here is: 1) only to and from the airport. 2) you order the day ahead and tell them what time your flight is. 3) they call the night before, or send an IM, letting you know what time they'll be at your door. 4) here in town it's 75 minutes (give or take a few, depending on which number of the three passengers you are) before the flight. As the alternative would be to take a bus or train at about that time, which would mean getting to the bus or train station, I get half an hour more to sleep in the morning before my 6 or 7am flight, and that does help me stay awake through a long meeting down in Oslo that day :o. Coming home you go to the share-cab stand, tell any driver your address, and he/she tells you which cab you're booked for or (if you haven't booked a return cab) whether there's a cab headed in that general direction that doesn't have a full load of 3.

[pardes]

I took the day off and ran errands all day. My bike and I were on five different buses. Putting a light weight bike on a bus bike carrier is a snap and only takes seconds. Delaware has drastically improved their bus system and now it's very convenient to bus/bike to work or errands.....although it's an adjustment to losing so much time waiting at bus stops. Doesn't bother me though, I just go into navel contemplation mode.

[withm]

You must be in northern DE? Here in Lower Slower the many of our busses only run in the summer. Totally useless!
Martha

[Bron]

Yup, use the buses, trams and trains all the time. It was quite nice going out to our triathlon on Sunday and seeing loads of triathletes on the S-bahn. We aren't allowed to take bikes on busses or trams here and are restricted to off-peak times on the U- and S-bahn (underground and city railways respectively), but that is understandable.

In fact, DH and I said the other day that we should go and check whether our car was still in the garage - we hadn't used it for a few weeks and we could imagine what the police would say if it got stolen: "so when did your car disappear?" us:"umm, some time in the last six weeks...."

[susiej]

Train to and from work every day. (I bike to the train station, then grab my bike and head to our son's daycare, where we park the car, then grab my husband from the train station and head home.)

Subway or trolley if I'm heading out for dinner downtown after work. Train, subway, bus and trolley for weekends spent in town.

If we're visiting our aunt in northern New Jersey, we'll ride the state-funded bus or the privately-operated jitney into New York City, and take the bus and subway there.

Vacationing, we try to take the subway and trains.