ON average I probably use public transit once a week..Reason I use it...It extends my bike range as mentioned by M.W....Makes a 70 mile round trip easy to do, if you need a quick way home in case your ride takes longer than planned.
As I mentioned in another thread..I had my first disappointment with biking and public transit..All buses have bike racks...
Used buses/bike commuting to do some of my Christmas buying two weeks ago. As stated, to cut the mileage and get home earlier i planned to finish the ride with a lift on a public bus..Buses so busy, either they were late or I missed connects...Caused me to abandon the bus and ride home way into the night with only a very dim light.. I have been a big supporter of public buses.This caused me to think you can't rely upon it... By the time I waited for late buses, I could have been home..But you do not always realize that when one missed bus leads to another.
Still A positive. Got my wife something she wanted from a speciality shop about 40 miles away from home..If didn't bike and had to drive, probably would have not gone in that direction and she would have not gotten a gift that she appreciated. Gave me more experience as a night rider even if I thought I was going to freeze. Just because dim lights are unsafe, so what. Still a big supporter of public transit, even if now less trusting of their reliability.