Take-Your-Bus-to-Work Day
Email The American Public Transportation Association has declared this "Dump the Pump day," hoping you’ll save on gas money, reduce pollution, and enjoy the ride if you leave your car at home and commute instead by bus or train. They say ridership on public transit is up 32 percent since 1995, and that "34 million times each weekday, people board public transportation." Their home page happens to link to my colleague Scott Mayerowitz’ piece from last week, "Can Mass Transit Rescue America?" Scott reported that "the typical American driver could save $1,800 a year by giving up his or her car and taking the train or bus to work" — but that only a minority of Americans have transit systems comprehensive enough to make a difference for them. And Scott found that while there are more than 10 billion trips taken on public transit each year, that’s down from 23.4 billion back in 1947. (It bottomed out in 1972 at 6.5 billion and has risen unsteadily since, spiking with gas-price shocks.) The U.S. Census finds public transit use highly uneven. In New York City, it shows 54.2% of workers using public transportation — which stands to reason because (1) New York has a vast bus and subway system, and (2) two minutes in New York traffic can be persuasive. More figures HERE. On the other hand, look at Orange County, Calif. The Census found only 3.4% using public transit.
And for Maricopa County, Ariz. (Phoenix and vicinity), the number was 2.3%. These figures are from the 2006 American Community Survey — which only covers some major metro areas, leaving out rural counties where the rate of public transit use would likely be zero. There is clearly an uptick in people taking buses, carpooling or working from home — $4 gas will do that do you. But an urban planner, Peter Calthorpe, argued to me years ago that public transit really works only when it gets you there. People use it heavily if the stations or bus stops at both ends are less than a thousand feet from home or work, and if they don’t have to change trains or bus routes. Otherwise, they use it if they really have to. Or they drive. Even when it costs them.
Space Station Flies Over Eastern U.S. at Night 
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I live in Tucson and we only have buses. But you might ask why not take the bus, because it would take me three hours to get to work. I keep saying we need a light rail system but people will not give up their SUVs. I would love to be able to sit back and relax for 30min while someone else drove.
Posted by: Brian | June 19, 2008, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
Reasons mass transit don’t work:
It doesn’t go where you need it to go.
It takes too long to get there and get back.
There is no way to carry anything more than a small amount.
You’re far more exposed to the weather.
You’re far more vulnerable to crime.
The schedules are restricted in the evenings, on weekends and holidays when people want to go out.
I used mass transit for seven years – strictly because of financial issues. I got a reduced rate all system pass from work. It saved me a great deal of money, but cost me two muggings, frostbite, a complete lack of shopping beyond immediate (eg daily) necessities, at least four hours of my time per day and no ability to go do many of the things I wanted to do because the transit system didn’t even go there.
I avoid it like the plague today.
If they ever develop a mass transit system that emulates the convenience of the personal auto (say an all-electric, semiautonomous vehicle capable of transporting up to four people – and their shopping – up to 20 miles in less than an hour) then it may become more practical. Today, a 20 mile trip on a bus takes at least two hours one way. Until then, I’ll stick with my car for far things and my feet for close ones.
Posted by: Fatesrider | June 19, 2008, 4:44 pm 4:44 pm
Unfortunately, public transit in most American cities consists of a slowly meandering bus route. If transit were more efficient, it would have been more widely used. Nowadays with gas prices in excess of $4, many would be willing to forsake their car for a bus commute to work if it weren’t for the time impediment of an extra hour to get to work. Mass transit, as it exists in most cities, isn’t prepared to take on commuters’ needs. Hopefully, on a city by city basis that will change.
Posted by: kathy | June 19, 2008, 5:51 pm 5:51 pm
Fatesrider,
The problem isn’t with public transportation. The problem is that american towns and cities are poorly designed. Suburban sprawl forces us to drive; people aren’t concentrated enough to financially support mass transit. If you study models where it actually works, you’ll notice that there is very little wasted space, not the standard house/backyard/2 car garage model that so many areas are based on. The tristate area is the perfect example. The dense population and lack of wasted space allow for a public transportation system to be supported.
Posted by: soccerpimp006 | June 19, 2008, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
Why not skip the cars *AND* the buses *AND* the trains.
I can “work from home” and do exactly the same things on my home computer… that I would do sitting at work… on their computer.
Posted by: Science | June 19, 2008, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
Public Transit in Orange County California rates about a zero on a 10 point scale. It’ll take you about 3 hours to go 25 miles from Orance to LA county. That is why people don’t use it. In NY you can go from Queens to Manhattan in about a half hour or less on the LIRR. That is why people use NY mass transit. NY mass transit rates a 10, smelly armpits and all.
Posted by: kim | June 19, 2008, 6:27 pm 6:27 pm
everybody is different…
Posted by: noname | June 19, 2008, 6:29 pm 6:29 pm
people might be wondering why are the buses so slow – Because theres too many traffic jams on the road. Today’s cities are too big to use a bike. The grocery stores/places to go are too far away.
Posted by: noname | June 19, 2008, 6:33 pm 6:33 pm
Public mass-transit rarely works in America because we refuse to put the money into it to make it work. Other countries have excellent systems that work just fine. Sometimes government really is useful, when it is necessary to pool resources for something that individuals cannot do alone.
Posted by: jock59801 | June 19, 2008, 6:34 pm 6:34 pm
Saint Louis to Saint Charles, 75 miles round-trip daily for me. MetroLink goes from two blocks to my door all the way to Lambert airport but not to Saint Charles. The reason is not poor planning by MetroLink. The city of Saint Charles blew up the old railway bridge that was designated for connecting the mass transit system. They did not want ‘the wrong element’ coming across the river. A bus ride is available but dicey on the timing. Locally, we give a lot of lip service and advertising to mass transit but the rubber does not meet the road I need to be on.
Posted by: Buddesatva | June 19, 2008, 6:35 pm 6:35 pm
Mass transit has been pathetically underfunded and underused for years here. In large European cities, you’ll find fresher air and more clear skies. I think that’s due to the excellent public transportation station, which is easy and convenient to use.
Posted by: kathy | June 19, 2008, 6:57 pm 6:57 pm
Science
You gave the best answer for the non-manual labor work force. The problem is with upper management in most cases. It doesn’t matter if you are hard at work or not, they want to see you sitting at your desk. Private contractors often do work from home because they get paid for results, not for an 8 hour day. The work I did for the last 6 years before I retired I could have done much more efficiently from home where I had a faster and more powerful computer than what they supplied at the office but when I asked about it the excuse was “security”. I say excuse because the work could have been completed at home and driven in to the offic once a week on CD Roms. What security issue? It is a mindset problem that will only go away when upper management decides to let it.
Posted by: Quietman | June 19, 2008, 9:05 pm 9:05 pm
jock
Mass transit actually does work in NYC. I have family there who don’t own cars. When they visit, someone has to pick them up at a bus depot or train station but their everyday life is via masstransit. The large part of NYC traffic is truck, taxi and bus. I will only take a car into Manhatten on a sunday when the streets are empty. You do not commute by car into Manhatten unless you are rich enough to pay the extremely high prices they get at NYC parking garages (last business trip into NYC in the early 90s cost me $25 per hour). In the business district most streets do not allow parking, curb space is reserved for commercial use or traffic.
Posted by: Quietman | June 19, 2008, 9:16 pm 9:16 pm
kim
You are right on. Orange county, LA county, same thing. The horizontal city is not a place where mass transit works.
What makes it worse out there is a lack of through streets and busses don’t have stops on freeways. But at least the traffic isn’t as bad as eastern cities.
Posted by: Quietman | June 19, 2008, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
Mass transit can’t work if there isn’t ANY where you live & work.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | June 19, 2008, 9:40 pm 9:40 pm
Ned
To put it as simply as possible: Its called Decentralization of Industry. Most major industries were once located in cities. They had their own private RR sidings right next to the building to reduce shipping costs and speed up delivery. As industry left the big cities because of the rising costs put on them by those cities, they moved into inductrial parks outside of city limits. Now they have moved out of the inductrial parks and away from the suburbs. No busus, no trains, big parking lots. Need I say more?
Posted by: Quietman | June 19, 2008, 9:53 pm 9:53 pm
Mass transit works beautifully in MANY thriving cities around the country but it’s more fun to cry about those that were not well planned or budgets were cut so much that was finally built was insufficient. The problem with mass transit in many cities in the US is that it requires a significant change in philosophy on almost every level of state, local and personal planning to understand and use effectively. A mass transit system is: airports, heavy passenger rail, dedicated rapid or light rail, busses and even taxis all working together. People living in outlying suburbs “choice riders” make the choice to drive to a parking area and take a rapid or light rail train into the city while they read the paper. It does NOT need to stop at your front door on either side. Transit also requires patience and smart forward planning to build a system and support the high density development of housing and businesses that develop around it. This is well documented and if you push those who are against it, you will find that they are generally clueless about the real facts. …and finally, like highways, mass transit is an amenity that requires government financial support as such in return for the massive indirect benefits it provides. Understand and get comfort able with all that and you can have a wonderful region. ..but too bad, the federal government’s current rules are designed to prevent new rail systems from ever starting, even now when they’re needed most. Once again, THROW OUT THE DO NOTHING DEMOCRAT CONGRESS IN ’08!!
Posted by: shepard133 | June 19, 2008, 11:05 pm 11:05 pm
There exists about only 2 key factors:
1.) 1.) 1.) *Time*
2.) 2.) *Money*
3.) Environment (Very very small portion)
Time and money are the key decision factors in determining if someone is willing to use public transportation or to continue using his or her method of transportation with minor accommodations.
Posted by: .Triligy | June 20, 2008, 1:07 am 1:07 am
Reasons current mass transit doesn’t work?
Nasty people?
Nasty bus drivers?
Nasty society?
Nasty ride?
Horrible equipment designs?
Filthy surfaces?
Disgusting smells?
Contemptuous presumptions?
Undependable schedules?
Lack of routes?
Walking to stops and back?
At stops while waiting as a designated looser being on public display?
Wasted time waiting and waiting and waiting?
Wasted time waiting some more?
Any and all answers listed above and more?
Congratulations, you have passed the mass transportation awareness test.
People who support current public transportation obviously do not use it. Or should I say rely upon it for any substantial amount of time. But how can you sell cars if public transportation is too good. That’s part of the trouble with mass transit in a capitalist society. They won’t make the cheap stuff free or too good otherwise it interferes with the stuff that they are trying to sell that well may not be so good but is competing with it. Mass transit will not be that good in capitalist or communist countries but in those countries that are more socialist.
Posted by: Jerry Rosen | June 20, 2008, 2:47 am 2:47 am
I’m fortunate that I live near a commuter rail line which can take me into the city for work each day. However, the vast majority of places I have lived in my life do not afford this option and everyone is reliant on owning a car to get everywhere. I feel especially badly for those who have no real options other than to pay the high prices for petrol to work to try to pay the petrol bills… it’s a vicious circle that never seems to end. On the other hand, there are too many folks out there with pickup trucks and SUV’s who never actually use them for the intended purpose and bought these gas-guzzlers to impress everyone. To those I have no sympathy – What goes around, comes around – enjoy putting your paycheques into your tanks each week!
Posted by: Mrs. Tiggywinkle | June 20, 2008, 5:45 am 5:45 am
In most of the US, mass transit would require a massive restructering of where people live and work. It could be done – but realistically only with a 75+ year rezoning plan. If we had started in 1973, we’d already be more than halfway there.
Posted by: John Kantor | June 20, 2008, 6:22 am 6:22 am
Big duh. I have to take my car to work. There is no mass transit where I live. Only buses going to NYC is around where I live, and they go no where near my office.
So unless they have buses going nearby my office, I always take my car.
Posted by: GWP | June 20, 2008, 6:58 am 6:58 am
Why not take public transportation?
* Your at the mercy of spacific a schedule. If your late your screwed. Plus, the fact that it doesn’t take you where you actually want to go or you have to take several buses to get there.
* The biggest person is the one that wants to sit next to you and on you. There is also the person who falls sleep on you or smells. There really a bunch of creepy people on the bus.
* The thugs that are haging out on the bus.
* The screaming kids with mom and a baby stroller.
* Standing when the bus is to full.
* There is no public transportation outside of cities.
Posted by: Renae | June 20, 2008, 8:01 am 8:01 am
mass transit works. i live in the Czech Republic and here in Europe, you really (I mean really) don’t need a car. Public transportation here is easy, convenient, and acsessible. Also, Europeans walk alot more than Americans. This is why Americans are so fat. Also, its much, much safer here, so, you don’t feel like you have to drive.
Posted by: tulcak | June 20, 2008, 8:20 am 8:20 am
mass transit is a good idea…
it is like public transport…n it is for convinience of public…n very affordable…
Posted by: pooja | June 20, 2008, 8:28 am 8:28 am
I walk about 1/2 mile each way to work every day. I live in Miami so the weather is rarely an issue. I take the bus everywhere else, including to the beaches. If all else fails, I can take a cab. A $20 cab fee once in a while is still cheaper than a car payment, insurance and gas.
Posted by: BigDeal? | June 20, 2008, 9:52 am 9:52 am
My time, comfort and safety are more valuable to me than saving a few dollars. I can get 10 times more done with my car than I can waiting for a bus or train! Time IS Money!
Posted by: Gerald | June 20, 2008, 10:13 am 10:13 am
The mass transit system in this country is deplorable, its utterly crap! I have just returned from Great Briton after living in London for nearly 3 years and although I was looking forward to purchasing a Smart, with in the first week of staying there I had decided against buying my own car all together, taxes, insurance and petrol first of all but the main reason was that I was able to get anywhere and I mean ANYWHERE by either taking the railcar, the bus or the bullet train(which btw usually goes at about 300mph!). I recommend that the author of this article go stay in the EU or London for a couple of days and he’ll see that not only can mass transit work but it can serve humanity greatly!
Posted by: just returned from Europe | June 20, 2008, 10:56 am 10:56 am
It’s a plausible solution for some people in the cities, but it really leaves rural America out of the picture. Remember those people that grow your veggies and raise the cattle that you eat? We have gas bills too. We spend a fortune in gas to plant, raise, maintain, harvest, and deliver all those yummy goods. How about thinking about us as well? I somehow doubt anyone is planning a rail station or a bus system anywhere near my land!
Posted by: VeteranD | June 20, 2008, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm
VeteranD
I am in the same boat. All I can do is plan ahead. Get the shopping done in a minimum number of trips per month and do as much as I can while the engines hot on the tractor (it’s a diesel). I did not mention rural areas above because it’s so obvious that we can’t do things like city or urban folk.
Posted by: Quietman | June 20, 2008, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
Ohio used to have a great Interurban rail system that served the outlying rural areas and connected them to the cities. But the state refused to support this system, and the rail companies were forced to decommission their rail lines when they couldn’t compete with automobiles – which were subsidized through the federal government, via gas and highway subsidies. Ohio once had the premier public transportation system that served urban AND rural communities, but narrow-minded politicians and greedy corporations sabotaged it.
Posted by: Chris | June 20, 2008, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
Mass transit allows for criminals to commute as well as residents. A mass transit rail line created two blocks from my old house increased local crime almost overnight.
I miss the inexpensive relaxing commute to work, but I don’t miss the environment it created near my home. I live in the boonies, it costs me a fortune to get to work, but the safety, security and peace of mind make it worth it.
Anyone who lobbies for more local mass transit needs to take a good hard look at location they’ll be linked to. If you wouldn’t live there then you don’t want it linked too closely to your home.
Posted by: Jerri | June 20, 2008, 5:20 pm 5:20 pm
I Have found that the people who want mass transit don’t use it them selves. They have no Idea about the length of time it takes to travel on place to another.On the max line in Portland Oregon going from my house to down town is about 1 1/2 hours to get there. and the people who ride it smell real bad.Have you ever smelled someone who sweats out meth? I can drive my car down town round trip in 30 min. Why would I subject my safety and gag reflex to 3 hours with these people?
Posted by: John | June 21, 2008, 2:00 am 2:00 am
The dunderheads in Orlando are cutting routes after getting people dependent upon those very routes. After spending lots of dollars advertising them. Ridership on them was up 300%. Bad leadership is why it doesn’t work, from the government level down.
Posted by: PNA | June 21, 2008, 10:09 am 10:09 am
I decided to live close to my work, so I walk. It’s nice to live in a place where city planners made that possible. So now, I have an easy walk to work. Meanwhile people live in the ‘burbs, pay out the nose for gas, and get not an ounce of exercise. It’s all about choice.
Posted by: Martian dude | June 21, 2008, 6:13 pm 6:13 pm
Hydrogen can be made from water by using an aluminun-gallium alloy to split the hydrogen from the oxygen. Thus the hydrogen is stored in the car as water.
Posted by: Ed | June 23, 2008, 6:42 pm 6:42 pm
Ed
Part of the problem was the rate of production verses the rate of consumption. This apparently has been overcome.
Posted by: Quietman | June 24, 2008, 8:12 pm 8:12 pm