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> I can get a bus to downtown Pittsburgh a block away from my house, but I'll almost always drive Pittsburgh's bus system is definitely not the most timely or
by cfallin 10y ago
> I can get a bus to downtown Pittsburgh a block away from my house, but I'll almost always drive
Pittsburgh's bus system is definitely not the most timely or reliable of bus systems I've used, but I have the opposite experience here: parking is a huge pain, drivers can be insane, and I'd much rather sit on the bus reading Hacker News on my phone (or whatever). Maybe not for the occasional Costco trip but definitely anywhere in the East End.
Granted, (i) I also have an unlimited bus pass via CMU (sunk costs work both ways!), and (ii) I'm close to several frequent routes (in Squirrel Hill). If I had to pay each time and buses were less frequent I'd probably be thinking like you are.
In any case, OP's two-hour number seems pretty off-putting. Agreed that time is an important consideration at that scale :-)
- Brendinooo 10y agoThe Port Authority works well for suburbs east and south of the city. Western and northern suburbs are much more suited for driving; from the north you get an interstate without a tunnel, and the West Hills has multiple ways to get downtown, some of which have minimal traffic. What's bad about the suburbs is that they're not linked. So even if I got an unlimited pass for cheap, a 15 minute drive to Ikea becomes a trip that takes about an hour and a half (one way!) and involves a transfer. Looking forward to the new zone-free fares next year, I hope it helps to solve the chicken/egg problem of ridership and routes.