I live 1.2 km west of a subway station on a line that runs north/south. My office is 8 km south of me and 3 km west of the subway, so it is a three-leg commute.
I can walk to the station, or walk about half the distance and catch a bus into the station.
I then take the subway either 8 or 9 stops south. It's crowded and I have to stand the whole way.
If I go 9 subway stops, I then take a 20 minute streetcar ride across downtown right to my office. It's crowded and slow and I have to fight my way on to it and stand for half the route.
If I go 8 subway stops, I can take a less crowded, slightly faster streetcar, that misses my office by a few blocks so I then walk down to my office on the cross-street about 600m.
Alternatively, I can take the bus near my house in the westward direction, away from the subway, and take another bus south. It's slower than the subway, but I always get a seat and it's above ground so I can browse the internet or get a start on the day's emails. There's still a short east west section (5-10 minutes on a streetcar or 800 m walking) at the bottom.
Either way the trip take 60-75 minutes.
There's also a middle route that would be preferred, but it is currently blocked by a massive construction project tying up traffic
.
I'm a big fan of our public transit system, but since my office moved to it's current location, it's just too far and complicated to commute like this. I so wish the ice and cold would abate and I could get back on my bike. I do not ride on ice.