BadBoy10

The point: As many have stated---it is difficult to "sell" public transportation when other options are deemed more convenient and consistent.

When traveling by car is no longer convenient (traffic, gas prices)---more people will use public transportation. I wonder how far gas prices will escalate before ridership increases?
I think the price could be $7.00/gallon and the market would sustain the price...people would pay. I know several colleagues if the gallon price =$15.00...they would pay...Chevy Suburban to boot.

Parents thought the bus was dangerous and the cost savings was not worth the safety of the children.

cooker

Thanks

Roody

You have incredibly bad luck.

Roody

Thank you. IMO that's about 85% of the reason people don't take buses in America. I just saw an older movie called "Crash". In the movie, a lowlife street thug refused to take a bus because he didn't want to be seen on it. That scene really rang true with comments I have heard from people of all income levels.

Machka 

It is ... and it does.

Roody

In fact, miles driven do go down when gas prices go up:

Americans on pace to have driven 40 billion fewer miles in 2011 vs. 2010 - Gasbuddy Gas Prices

....But not by much:

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/07/0...-energy-taxes/

Rowan

The public transport in Europe is top notch, based on our experience. I don't particularly like Amsterdam, but the city transport system uses rail cars/trams from the railway station, and if you take a close look at them, they are ultra-modern in appearance, and clean and well patronised. The drivers look professional. There were many people on board during the day... most, I suppose, tourists.

We saw similar things in other cities, whether it was buses, or trolleys or trams.

Even Melbourne in Australia has comfortable, low-rider trams. Although, there are quite a few old "rattlers" still servicing various routes.

I don't think Perth has them any more, but there was a free city circuit bus that was a very modern design that I enjoyed riding; it travelled a fixed route around the centre of the city.

In each of the cases the drivers were very presentable with clean uniforms and attitude.

Much of the appeal for riding buses comes down to having modern, clean units, professional staff in appearance, driving ability and customer service, and reasonable fares. Oh, and running to a timetable helps a LOT!

ricebowl

Nah, status is about 5% of the reason the other 95% is about convenience and comfort.

BadBoy10

I AGREE!!! South Florida has an air of superficiality and hypermaterialism though frankly many areas are distressed...blighted. Perception...people perceive public transp as inconvenient and filthy with unruly passengers. I have a colleague renting a car ...when I suggested TriRail..."Are youu kidding? I cant bee seen on that!"

I responded, "I ride TriRail and the bus" ...cost me $75.00 a month for Tri and $4.00 for an all day bus pass."

It is gross and loud sometimes but I get tired of driving. Eventually, I will be car free. I hate car payments and car insurance. Big chunk of my income...my fault for stupidly buying into the hype.

Dahon.Steve

Good article.

The article uses statistics that are slightly old but the current figures show only a slight increase going into 2014. As incomes continue to either fall or stagnate with motorcar transport skyrocketing, we’ll see Americans drive less each year. I’m concerned about this because our nation depends on the motor centrists to stimulate the economy through consumption. We’re in a lot of trouble once the population can no longer afford transportation and are home bound.

All the discussion about boosting the minimum wage to $10.00 is due to the fact the motorcar is consuming the income of low paid workers. It’s a lost cause in my opinion because as soon as wages go up, the motorist goes out and purchases a new vehicle only to repeat the cycle all over again.

Dahon.Steve

I came in from New York City this morning and with my monthly pass total cost was zero dollars. The tunnel and parking would have set me back about $50.00 dollars easily. I then boarded the Long Island railroad for $9.00 dollars took me to my favorite bike shop. The trip was 51 miles with a total cost of $9.00 and I didnn't have to pay tolls or parking.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I was scared!! LOL!

BadBoy10

Wow! But why scared? Same issues I mentioned above?

daihard 

Totally agreed. I've been to Amsterdam, Leiden and Utrecht in the Netherlands, and Antwerp and the Brussels in Belgium in the recent few years (all on business). They all have good public transport, combining buses, trams, light rails and high-speed inter-city trains. Amsterdam and the Brussels were especially impressive. I didn't have a car in either city, but I had no trouble getting round.

Compared to those cities, the public transport in the U.S. is a joke - possibly except for that in NYC and Boston.

Roody

What about Los Angeles?

Los Angeles: Public Transportation - TripAdvisor

Dahon.Steve

I was joking!

I was only scared once in my life to ride the bus and that was the first time I rode by myself. I still remember the day because of the fear the bus driver would want me to bring my mother! LOL. It was my first day of high school and I was 12 years old. Since that day, I've never been afraid to ride the bus.

daihard 

I can't speak much for L.A., except when I tried to map a bus/train route from LAX to my hotel in Brea (on business), Google told me it would take somewhere around 3 hours by transferring 2-3 times. If you drove, it would have taken 50 minutes. I took a cab.

mhower86

A few years back I lost my drivers license and had to take the bus for transportation. I did this for 3 years, it was very annoying. The bus had a bike rack but it only held two bikes, so if there was already bike on there you would have to wait for the next bus and sometimes that one would have two bike too. Not to mention hearing stories of people getting there bike stolen right off the bus while they are onboard, I would actually lock my bike to the bus, better safe than sorry. I was able to get anywhere I needed to go between using the bus and the train, but it would take forever, and got very irrigating after awhile. I glad I am not doing that anymore. And yes there is a stigma attached to riding the bus.

ralph12

I am a student, and one thing I don't like about the bus service in my area is that there's no service running between the various colleges and universities.

For various reasons, a student from one school may want or need to get to the campus of another school. Lots of students can't afford cars, and cycling has some practical limitations, especially when going in groups.

An inter-campus shuttle service would really be cool.

ralph12

There is a stigma attached to everything. I try not to care too much about it. I used to care a lot, but then I realized I was growing old before my time worrying so much about what everyone else thought.

There will always be people looking for a reason to make other people feel small. It's easier to just quit caring than to keep worrying about it. I know there's nothing wrong with riding the bus, even though it's something poor people do. It doesn't really matter.

Edit: The other problems with the bus service you mention are pretty bad though. I wish bus services were run better.

cooker

I think the biggest stigma is self-stigma. OMG what if everybody sees me on the bus?!!?!

Don't worry. They don't notice and they don't care.

And if you run into them at the bus stop, now you'll have something to share.

BadBoy10

Mhower86: what you have describes is pervasive!

Today I took the bus and bike to my po box...too an hour. By car 20 minutes.
Return trip met high schoolers.had been waiting 45 minutes for a bus that is to arrive 3 times per hour.

In Miami the train does not travel to Doral (far west) so twice a week I drive 1.5 hour roudtrip to teach a college course. I hate it. Like the money. Last bus leaves mall (about 10 min bike ride) at 8:30 pm. My class ends at 9.

Excuse typos I'm on this tablet. Fat fingers.

Ekdog

The Bay Area has good public transit, at least it did when I lived in San Francisco and Berkeley back in the '80s.

daihard 

Possibly. The only experience I've had with public transit in the Bay Area is the BART back in 1983. The last time I was there in November, I tried to find a route from San Jose International Airport to Pleasanton. I was out of luck.

fietsbob

It works Better, because more people use it? and so it still is given value in the Budgets .

remember WW2 destroyed the Trolleys in Europe, after the war they rebuilt theirs , in the US
after the war US Oil Rubber and Manufacturing/GM colluded and saw to it the US destroyed most of theirs

to Privatize ,, sell cars and Busses for transportation . tore up the tracks .. burned the Trolleys ..

ro-monster

We do have good transit here, for the most part. It works well unless you have to make a trip that involves numerous transfers. Then, one leg running late can throw the whole trip off.

Your trip from San Jose Airport to Pleasanton would actually be pretty easy. Shuttle bus from airport to Santa Clara Caltrain, Caltrain to Millbrae, where you transfer to BART and go to Dublin/Pleasanton. The only problematic part is how to get around once you get to Pleasanton.