buses do use noxious deisel gas but they move a lot of people at one time instead of 1-2. plus traffic would be so much nicer for those who do drive and buses could be on time (when pigs fly). if we could get some hydropower going on in new york, electricity usage would be less of a problem and trains are a great form of transportation. except that maybe they'd want to build more branches cutting across where people live and construction is the #1 point source of pollution. there is no simple solution! aaah! i still give public trans 3 thumbs up. another thing....people overuse their cars. you don't need to drive your car a few blocks away if your legs ain't broken. even a few miles is excessive (get a bike). i'm glad i don't have a car because i won't be tempted to drive everywhere.
I worked with a guy who was discussing whether or not to start taking the bus to work. The fare was about $35/month. He drives 8 miles to and from work a day. At the time he drove a little Toyota that got about 28 miles to the gallon. As far as the trip to and from work, he was much better off financially to drive than to take the bus. He would pay less in gas for his car than the bus fare. Where's the incentive? And in Knoxville, Tennessee, the bus system is so rarely used, it was typical to see only one or two people on the buses at any given time. Since two major interstates intersect right in the middle of town and you can get just about anywhere by jumping on I-40 or I-75, few people bother with mass transit. So, the buses are the equivalent to big cars with massive amounts of diesel exhaust in terms of fuel amount per rider. One of the many things I miss about living in Boulder, Colorado, was the fact that there is a very intricate system of bike trails throughout the town. Being a small town, there aren't two places anywhere that were more than a half hour bike ride from one another. I would definitely have my car in "dry dock" and use it only for long trips like to Denver or to the National Park and keep intown travel to bike only. Traffic from tourists and commuters is so horrible in that tiny mountain town that going anywhere by bike was typically faster than driving, anyway. No pollution, no noise, no fuel consumption, good exercise and experience with nature. When I moved into a house here in Atlanta, we needed to buy a lawnmower. I decided to go with the old skool rotary type mower. No engine. Cutting done by a scissor action. All muscle power. Very little noise ... nowhere NEAR as noisy as a gas mower. No smoke. No oil and gas to worry about, and it really really works. Side note: If you must drive a lot, be sure to keep your car maintained properly. Get a tune up every couple of years. Change your fuel filter once a year. Change your air filter once a year. Make sure your emissions system is up to snuff. Oxygen sensors go bad or get slow and can make your car run less efficiently if they aren't functioning properly. Make sure your tires are properly inflated (makes a huge difference) and that your wheels are properly aligned and balance. I did these things to my car after several years of obvious neglect by the previous owner and picked up at least 10 miles to the gallon.
my monthly bus pass is $75. a car would be several hundred a month in payments, another $200/m in insurance (waaaay more if i was male), $50 parking permit, who knows how much in gas, plus inspections (annual inspections are the law in ny) and regular maintenance. even if those costs weren't a factor, i would so much prefer to have the bus driver manage traffic while i sit back and enjoy the commute. people are crazy here going to and from work.
Definitely dependent on where you live. Like I mentioned, if I still lived in Boulder, I'd likely not drive a car more than a handful of times a month. Weekends going to the mountains and stuff. I'd bike to and from work and around town. Walk to the local pub, etc. Knoxville's mass transit system is not much to speak of, and since the city pretty much runs East to West along I-40, and the only bike trails are recreational and really don't go anywhere, and there are no proper lanes on the streets for bikers to easily use for commuting, driving is pretty much necessary, unless you live and work downtown, where there is a nice little trolley system and walking is not a problem. But if you live in the suburbs and work downtown, you pretty much have to drive. Atlanta is similar, but their mass transit system (MARTA) is considerably better with the trains and all. I haven't had a car payment in nearly 6 years (paid off one car and kept it for 3 years, then paid cash for the next car after saving my payments) and my insurance is only $70/month. I do most of my own maintenance, and since most of the long distance traveling I do is for business, I deduct my mileage. At $.37/mile deduction, My gas is pretty much free, since I my car is fairly fuel efficient. So, economy is not a factor for me when deciding whether to drive or not. As they say in the car ads....your mileage may vary.....
You do indeed need a decent public transport system if it is going to be a viable alternative. I fear especially so for the average american. We salute Swedishfish for her wisdom.
anywhere with a lot of people needs good public trans. i wouldn't expect people out in a little populated area to take trains. i know someone from idaho who got pulled over and harassed by a cop because he didn't believe her that they didn't require emissions inspections in idaho (where her car is registered) because they don't have an emissions problem. if you don't live in a place where people complain about the traffic, it's probably not necessary. long island totally needs a better transit system. 13+ million people crammed into 20X50 miles. they have the lirr which is pretty good but you have to live near a station for it to be useful (i did fortunately) and you only use it to go to the city. screw switching at jamaica. the buses are so limited it's not even worth taking it. Nyers is there a subway that goes from queens to the bronx? or is there any other way of getting to the bronx from long island without having to go from penn to grand central?
And may be if undecided buys me a plane, I'll consider flight. But that means airports, etc etc. So, driving is really a necessary form of transportation. Not in a city, especially one like NYC. You could simply take the Bus, or the Subway.
why dont they just release the ARV technolgy and let us teleport thru tubes like the Pleiades. haha have a nice day fellas. public trans is a pedestrians best friend, but an automotives worst enemy. (p.s. its past may 19th) oh yea, and i would get the hell out of new york
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