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"Why do buses not count? Because you don't like them? Your definition of transit is not shared with most people." Don't shoot the messenger. There is a viciou
by rsync 7y ago
"Why do buses not count? Because you don't like them? Your definition of transit is not shared with most people."
Don't shoot the messenger.
There is a vicious cycle of under-investment (fulfilling transit goals with half-assed bus routes instead of making real investments in lightrail/subway) poor service, and resulting lack of utilization among middle class voters ... which leads to further under-investment (since none of us are going to take the bus) ...
I am not talking about SF or NYC. I am talking about every other city in the US that matches this description perfectly.
- jimmaswell 7y agoThen just fix this and you don't have to spend millions digging up a bunch of land and building train lines/stations. Market the buses better, make them nicer, enforce rules better on them, get things like charging outlets in them.
- alexhutcheson 7y agoThe single biggest thing you need to do is make bus commutes faster than a car commute. This requires enforced bus lanes and possibly transit signal priority, which has been a hard thing to maintain politically. The buses can be nice and well-marketed, but if driving is significantly faster, then people who can afford it will still drive.
- rtkwe 7y agoTrains do have the advantage that they don't have to deal with road congestion. Since buses have to use the same streets as cars unless there are bus only lanes it's pretty much always going to be faster to drive than to take a bus because the bus probably won't be doing directly to your destination and will be making stops where you won't in your car.