[!@#$%!]

when i lived in DC i was a metro-only person. walk to metro, shuttle bus to school. then metro to all my city errands-- rarely i would catch a bus transfer for a place out of the way. i had a zipcar membership but i never needed it. i would take cabs at night, say, after drinking till 4am. a few times i rented a car to get out of town, always got good deals. i used my bike a lot too, but dc drivers are aware of bicycles in a way that drivers in other towns aren't-- in albuquerque people get run over a lot. and walking was a pleasure, always something to see on the way. some people bitch about the lack of freeways inside dc but it's a blessing.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

when i lived in DC i was a metro-only person. walk to metro, shuttle bus to school. then metro to all my city errands-- rarely i would catch a bus transfer for a place out of the way. i had a zipcar membership but i never needed it. i would take cabs at night, say, after drinking till 4am. a few times i rented a car to get out of town, always got good deals. i used my bike a lot too, but dc drivers are aware of bicycles in a way that drivers in other towns aren't-- in albuquerque people get run over a lot. and walking was a pleasure, always something to see on the way. some people bitch about the lack of freeways inside dc but it's a blessing.

that sounds like paradise compared to LA, as I said, our city is simply overwhelming in size..

for example, when I took the MTA green/Blue line and a few connecting buses to church yesterday, it was the same distance as traveling from DC across to Baltimore!!!

[!@#$%!]

dc-baltimore had a nice little commuter train, you could get monthly tickets.

yes, living in the city was good, but in the dc suburbs you MUST have a car or you're really fucked. there's over half million people in the city and about 5 million people in the suburbs. i haaaaaate the suburbs. they are horrible, sterile, dull, impersonal, and confining (to the house/office/car/mall). walking in the street seeing a bunch of strangers is delicious-- every face a story.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to !@#$%! again.

[akprodr]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

Who actually rides a decent public system out there? Anyone boardies have success?

As Satan noted, NYC's system is pretty darn good. I do NOT drive in the city if at all possible. 20 min walk to the train and 45 on the train gets me into the city. From there you can get pretty much anywhere.

[Lamont Cranston]

Melbourne doesn't have a metro, just an extensive commuter train network with railway lines radiating out from a city centre terminal to and through the suburbs to a rural-ish fringe. 20-45 miles away from the city centre in Ye Olde measurements, longest take an hour.
Frequency is good in the morning and evening peaks, 15-10 or less minutes, afternoons and nights can be 20-40 minutes, on Sundays its practically dead and finishes too early.

 

In addition to that scheduling problem it overall isn't working too good because they've been neglecting maintenance and upgrades and new lines for about 40 years, now with a surge in patronage it barely copes. However in that same time frame they managed to build 10 freeways, and now want to build even more some of absolute monstrous proportions

 

Then there are trams in the inner area, they're good but could do with some lines crossing them. You can get to/from the city centre to a lot of places, but suppose you're wanting to get across?

 

Buses routes can range from good to very shonky. Also depends on how many service a train stations since they're mainly geared towards a feeder.
I can get a bus that circulates through the local neighbourhoods and be at the train station in 5 minutes or walk via a bike trail in 20 minutes, its got a reasonable frequency in the morning and evenings but only once an hour during the day and finishes at 7:30pm, finishes at noon on a Saturday, doesn't run at all on a Sunday.

So overall, it is okay but not good and has problems that are not inherent to infrastructure but due to policy decisions and (mis)management.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Lamont Cranston

Melbourne doesn't have a metro, just an extensive commuter train network with railway lines radiating out from a city centre terminal to and through the suburbs to a rural-ish fringe. 20-45 miles away from the city centre in Ye Olde measurements, longest take an hour.
Frequency is good in the morning and evening peaks, 15-10 or less minutes, afternoons and nights can be 20-40 minutes, on Sundays its practically dead and finishes too early.

 

In addition to that scheduling problem it overall isn't working too good because they've been neglecting maintenance and upgrades and new lines for about 40 years, now with a surge in patronage it barely copes. However in that same time frame they managed to build 10 freeways, and now want to build even more some of absolute monstrous proportions

 

Then there are trams in the inner area, they're good but could do with some lines crossing them. You can get to/from the city centre to a lot of places, but suppose you're wanting to get across?

 

Buses routes can range from good to very shonky. Also depends on how many service a train stations since they're mainly geared towards a feeder.
I can get a bus that circulates through the local neighbourhoods and be at the train station in 5 minutes or walk via a bike trail in 20 minutes, its got a reasonable frequency in the morning and evenings but only once an hour during the day and finishes at 7:30pm, finishes at noon on a Saturday, doesn't run at all on a Sunday.

So overall, it is okay but not good and has problems that are not inherent to infrastructure but due to policy decisions and (mis)management.

that was a fascinating lesson on your local system, much thanks for the contribution, all these slackers (myself included) could learn how to be more collaborative.

[akprodr]

Anchorage's bus system is a joke. They run very infrequently and make no effort to connect. You have to go to one of three hubs. Unless you only need to take one bus, it will take you hours to get anywhere.

And, busses in general suck donkey meat. I lived in Fort Lee and the express bus was the last stop before NYC but the local was the first stop. If I made the express, probably 20 minutes. Local, close to an hour.

And then, on the way home, I couldn't get the express so another hour to get home. And people stopping the bus every single fucking block! Would it really kill you to walk a block? I don't think I've ever been closer to suicide than on that bus.

[Lamont Cranston]

Yes buses are the least form of public transportation, should be used for the suburban neighbourhood commute and hops in between places - not your primary traveling.
Various kinds of rail should do that.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by akprodr

I don't think I've ever been closer to suicide than on that bus.

I know what you mean..

"nobody says, anything on buses and thats why people kill themselves!"

[Lamont Cranston]

Oh I forgot another picture, graph showing how much patronage has gone up in the last couple years

 

[space]

SFAD: CLEAR YO PMZ, YO.

[Rob Instigator]

have you tried the LA subway?

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

have you tried the LA subway?

thats a redundant question. Of course I ride the subway, but only when I am in Hollywood where it runs

I often have to ride ALL the trains, green to blue to red (subway) to gold.

[Rob Instigator]

I did not know where the subway actually ran.

hell, I was shocked a decade ago when I found out it existed!

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I did not know where the subway actually ran.

hell, I was shocked a decade ago when I found out it existed!

most people in LA have no idea. I just took my homegirl on it for the first time ever for her last friday when we went to see deftones@ Jimmy Kimmel. It is a great system, a bit expensive to build (something like a $1billion per mile) but a trip none-the-less.. LA has everything, we just hide a lot of the dope shit.


The subway runs from Union Station in downtown to the North end of the Valley and also to the Mid-Wilshire area downtown..

the first time I rode it I got all confused when I came out to the street, I had no idea which way was up down, east west..

[akprodr]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

the first time I rode it I got all confused when I came out to the street, I had no idea which way was up down, east west..

Pfft! Hell, I do that everytime I get out of the subway in NYC unless its a stop I use frequently--which isn't too many.

Its also challenging to find the PATH stations--9th st is very well hidden.