3 posts tagged “bus”

Stolen from The Onion, which never fails to crack me up.  Apropo for my new (some days) commuter lifestyle.

WASHINGTON, DC–A study released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association reveals that 98 percent of Americans support the use of mass transit by others.

"With traffic congestion, pollution, and oil shortages all getting worse, now is the time to shift to affordable, efficient public transportation," APTA director Howard Collier said. "Fortunately, as this report shows, Americans have finally recognized the need for everyone else to do exactly that."

Of the study's 5,200 participants, 44 percent cited faster commutes as the primary reason to expand public transportation, followed closely by shorter lines at the gas station. Environmental and energy concerns ranked a distant third and fourth, respectively.

Anaheim, CA, resident Lance Holland, who drives 80 miles a day to his job in downtown Los Angeles, was among the proponents of public transit.

"Expanding mass transit isn't just a good idea, it's a necessity," Holland said. "My drive to work is unbelievable. I spend more than two hours stuck in 12 lanes of traffic. It's about time somebody did something to get some of these other cars off the road."

Public support for mass transit will naturally lead to its expansion and improvement, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said.

"With everyone behind it, we'll be able to expand bus routes, create park-and-ride programs, and build entire new Metrolink commuter-rail lines," LACMTA president Howard Sager said. "It's almost a shame I don't know anyone who will be using these new services."

Sager said he expects wide-scale expansion of safe, efficient, and economical mass-transit systems to reduce traffic congestion in all major metropolitan areas in the coming decades.

"Improving public transportation will do a great deal of good, creating jobs, revitalizing downtown areas, and reducing pollution," Sager said. "It also means a lot to me personally, as it should cut 20 to 25 minutes off my morning drive."

The APTA study also noted that of the 98 percent of Americans who drive to work, 94 percent are the sole occupant of their automobile.

"When public transportation is not practical, commuters should at least be carpooling," Collier said. "Most people, unlike me, probably work near someone they know and don't need to be driving alone."

Collier said he hopes the study serves as a wake-up call to Americans. In conjunction with its release, the APTA is kicking off a campaign to promote mass transit with the slogan, "Take The Bus... I'll Be Glad You Did."

The campaign is intended to de-emphasize the inconvenience and social stigma associated with using public transportation, focusing instead on the positives. Among these positives: the health benefits of getting fresh air while waiting at the bus stop, the chance to meet interesting people from a diverse array of low-paying service-sector jobs, and the opportunity to learn new languages by reading subway ads written in Spanish.

"People need to realize that public transportation isn't just for some poor sucker to take to work," Collier said. "He should also be taking it to the shopping mall, the supermarket, and the laundromat."

As I continue along my new adventure of commuting via city bus, I've developed a mission statement:

I will ride the bus to work to save money on gas, as long as it's not too cold, too hot, too windy, raining, snowing, hailing, or anything else that would otherwise make me uncomfortable or ruin my hair.

Pretty giving of me, don't you think?  Just doing my part.

This morning's weather was absolutely gorgeous.  That lasted until about noon.  I'd read the forecast this morning that there was a chance of rain this afternoon starting around 4...right around the time I'd be making that 4-block walk from the afternoon bus stop to my house.  I decided to take the risk today, though.

Because I was armed.  Armed with an umbrella.

For ten bucks I now have a cute little bright pink guarantee that I will not get rained on.  To be sure, when I got off the bus this afternoon, it was dark & overcast, and there was thunder & lightening, but no rain.  No rain!  Hah!  I don't even have to open my umbrella in order to not get wet.  I just have to have it in my bag.

It's the same deal with car trouble, or should I say, the lack thereof.  As long as I have my cell phone with me, I will not have car trouble.  It doesn't matter that my van is (likely) in need of a new starter, or that my commuter car intermittently shows me its "Check Engine Soon" light.  All I need is my cell phone, and my vehicles will work just fine.  And like the umbrella, I don't even have to use it.  I just have to have it with me.

Oh yeah, and may I mention that now that I'm safe inside, it's pouring rain?

It's really quite empowering to have this kind of control over time & space.

Today I took public transportation to work. I've done this once before, about a year ago when my car died and Brian had already left for work.  That day I didn't really have a choice and I was just lucky that I was able to scrounge $1.25 or whatever it costs.  (I rarely have cash, and usually when I do it goes quickly into a pop machine.)

But here's the thing.  On Monday evening I had a meeting to go to and Brian asked me if I'd fill up the van on my way home.  Now usually the van is his commuter car (he carts the kids) and he takes care of filling it up when necessary.  My commuter car is a 1997 5-speed Geo Metro Sedan. Kind of dorky and definitely uncool, but it's paid for and cheap to own & operate.  It's also easy to park in our packed, perpendicular-parking lot.

Looks like this except mine is green - very 90's!

When I fill up my car, I go to a gas station that gives me 15 cents off per gallon if I buy a car wash.  I get the cheapest one for $6 and still come out having paid more for the car wash than what I save on gas with an 8-gallon tank, but I like the convenience of the fill & wash all at one time.

So back to Monday night.  I'm used to about a $25 bill when filling up my car, and even that was starting to feel pretty steep.  When I filled up the van, I found myself staring straight into a $51.59 total. 

~~Sticker shock!!~~

I know that probably pales compared to what some of you are used to, but it was pretty scary for me!  I decided then & there to look into my employer's city bus pass program.

Because parking for both patients/visitors and employees is at a premium in downtown Rochester, one of the things that my employer has done is to allow employees who live in town to get free bus passes.  They also sell passes to people who live out of town at a reduced rate.  The goal is to help alleviate parking congestion downtown.  I know a lot of people who take the bus because they don't even have parking privileges downtown, because those are given out by seniority.  After 11 years, I do have parking, so I've never considered taking the bus.  Now I'm going to do it, at least some days, in order to alleviate our gasoline bill.  On days I take the bus, Brian will take my little car.  Hopefully this will make a difference.  We'll see; I told Brian that I'll only take the bus on days that aren't too cold, too windy, or raining.  So the rest of this week may be out already.

This morning went pretty well.  I was worried that I wouldn't make it to the bus stop in time, and as it turned out I had plenty of time.  Eventually I'll have it down to the exact minute that I need to leave the house.  This afternoon will present a different challenge.  Not only do I have to make sure I'm ready to leave work at the appropriate time (I can be a dawdler), but I have to take a different route home.  My neighbor/friend Matt, who rides the same bus, told me this morning where I need to be in order to take Route 2 home, which was nice.  The good/bad thing about Route 2 is that it's going to drop me off about 4 blocks from my house.  Today that will be awesome as it's supposed to be sunny and 75, and I don't anticipate having to carry anything heavy or bulky home.  I'm such a baby.  :)

So yes, now I feel more like an official member of the rat race.