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0 pointsgenghisjahn1y ago0 comments

Public transit people don't value their time? I wonder about the people stuck on I-76 as I pass over them on the regional rail here in Philly. Sure I deal with a late train now and then. But those people deal with center city traffic every day twice a day.

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theamk1y ago

If the transit is faster that driving for you, then pretty sure you in the minority.

You have to get all the conditions just right for this to be the case

- You have to live next to the train (or next to a frequent bus which takes you to the train)

- You have to have a train going to the approximate right direction

- You have to work in place next to the train (or next to a frequent bus)

- Your work place is OK with you coming in late every once in a while, and your home life is OK with you coming back late every once in a while.

As long as you have a high-demand profession, plenty of potential workplaces and you are not on the fixed schedule, you can be picky and and choose next to transit - but many people don't.

Same goes with place to live - in my region you choose 2 of (inexpensive, next to transit, good public schools). If you have no kids, trains maybe faster for you, but if you want good public school your public transit commute turns super long.

Eddy_Viscosity21y ago

Many city buses just use the same roads as cars so if the cars are stuck in traffic so are the transit passengers.

Some cities do have bus-only lanes, and others have full on subway systems which is great but most do not.

rsynnott1y ago

> Some cities do have bus-only lanes, and others have full on subway systems which is great but most do not.

So, er, maybe a first step is installing more bus lanes? They really can make a tremendous difference, and they can transport far more people in a given amount of space than cars can. For instance, look at the picture on this article: https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/dublin-news/priv...

That’s transport for 360 people in the four visible buses, plus 400 in the tram. And, er, four in the taxi, I suppose.

lotsoweiners1y ago

Yeah this is true in my city, Phoenix. We don’t have commuter rail just commuter buses. They take the car pool lane but so does every Tesla so that isn’t as big of an advantage as it sounds. We have light rail but it is a specific route in surface streets and much slower than driving on the freeway.

slibhb1y ago

I'm happy for you that your public transit is faster than traffic but mine isn't.

Via the DC Metro, I have an 8 minute walk + 2 minutes wait for train + 35 minute train ride + 8 minute walk.

Compare that to a 15-35 minute drive, depending on traffic. It's just not close.

SoftTalker1y ago

Yeah in dense urban areas in the US we have transit. Maybe it could be better but we have it. Other places are too spread out. There are not enough people going to the same places at the same times for a really useful transit system to exist.

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