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If public transit is such a viable alternative, why do so many people in those cities drive? Perhaps you're overlooking some disadvantages of public transit. I

by ggreer 11y ago

If public transit is such a viable alternative, why do so many people in those cities drive? Perhaps you're overlooking some disadvantages of public transit. I haven't spent much time in Boston, but public transportation in SF is a joke. Average fleet speed is 8.1mph, the slowest in north america. Even express lines are outpaced by bicycles. Heck, I've been able to outrun the N from Civic Center to Ocean Beach. In addition to being slow, SF's public transport is disgusting. Many homeless leave filth on busses and trains. I can't remember a time I've taken Muni or BART and not smelled urine (or worse). Then there are the constant annoyances stemming from the public part of public transportation: being packed into cars like cattle, sick people spreading germs, passengers playing music out of their phones, etc. All of these problems combine to make a distinctly unpleasant experience. That's why I often Uber or just walk in SF.

pstrateman 11y ago
Public transit in SF is a joke. It takes over an hour to get from most places to downtown.
- Decade 11y ago
  Going downtown is not that bad. There’s a transit line from pretty much any neighborhood to downtown, and a lot of express services during rush hours. Service is dramatically worse after midnight, though. It’s getting from one residential neighborhood to another that’s really annoying. I have students scheduling over an hour to get to high school, because SFUSD has a policy of promoting school integration and doesn’t provide buses. Teenagers getting enough sleep? What a silly idea.
IgorPartola 11y ago
I agree with you on all these points, even if I haven't experienced them myself in SF. I used to take the T and used the bus system in the greater Boston area for a couple of years and had similar experiences. Quite a few people drank beer out of gatorade bottles for breakfast, etc. One guy nearly threw up in my lap. The point I'm trying to make is that public transit can be made much better and more enjoyable. Instead of saying "well, it sucks now" we should say "it sucks now, let's make it better". The budgets currently devoted to maintaining roads, traffic police, etc. could be used to improve public transit instead. Motorized walkways could double or triple your walking speed (something you say you already do) in lots of places. I grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine, a city with roughly 1m people and several public transit options: subway, tram/light rail, commuter rail, taxis, and buses. While some of these got to be somewhat gross, the subway specifically was always great: always clean, always air conditioned, marble floors and walls. By contrast, Boston's T/subway/metro is always looking like there is either construction or rodent extermination going on, and it is incredibly hot at all times. It's also incredibly noisy because of the wrong size chassis on some of the train. I believe that if a country like Ukraine can have nice public transit, the US should be able to figure it out too.

by ggreer 11y ago

pstrateman 11y ago

Public transit in SF is a joke. It takes over an hour to get from most places to downtown.

Decade 11y ago
Going downtown is not that bad. There’s a transit line from pretty much any neighborhood to downtown, and a lot of express services during rush hours. Service is dramatically worse after midnight, though. It’s getting from one residential neighborhood to another that’s really annoying. I have students scheduling over an hour to get to high school, because SFUSD has a policy of promoting school integration and doesn’t provide buses. Teenagers getting enough sleep? What a silly idea.

IgorPartola 11y ago

I agree with you on all these points, even if I haven't experienced them myself in SF. I used to take the T and used the bus system in the greater Boston area for a couple of years and had similar experiences. Quite a few people drank beer out of gatorade bottles for breakfast, etc. One guy nearly threw up in my lap. The point I'm trying to make is that public transit can be made much better and more enjoyable. Instead of saying "well, it sucks now" we should say "it sucks now, let's make it better". The budgets currently devoted to maintaining roads, traffic police, etc. could be used to improve public transit instead. Motorized walkways could double or triple your walking speed (something you say you already do) in lots of places. I grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine, a city with roughly 1m people and several public transit options: subway, tram/light rail, commuter rail, taxis, and buses. While some of these got to be somewhat gross, the subway specifically was always great: always clean, always air conditioned, marble floors and walls. By contrast, Boston's T/subway/metro is always looking like there is either construction or rodent extermination going on, and it is incredibly hot at all times. It's also incredibly noisy because of the wrong size chassis on some of the train. I believe that if a country like Ukraine can have nice public transit, the US should be able to figure it out too.