Despite how ridiculous that looks... yes... yes I am.
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Transit-Age: Are you satisfied with your city's transit?
- Thread starter EvilMario
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Word.
the_log_ride
Member
Orange County is woefully behind the times with respect to mass transit.
What's even more amazing is that unlike most of the massive Euro and NA systems (London, Paris, NYC), Seoul's subway system is really young, having opened up in the 70s. All those other massive systems have at least 70 years on it.
And it's DIRT CHEAP to ride.
DJ_Lae
Member
I have no issue with the bus system here in Victoria other than there really needs to be a light rail or something out to Langford/Colwood to deal with the fucking Colwood Crawl. The buses have a priority light before it goes green but that doesn't help much when you're basically gridlocked for a kilometer or more.
Where I'm at, though, I've got it easy - I'm within a block of nine separate bus routes so I can get pretty much anywhere with minimal effort and wait times, helped immensely by Google adding bus schedules to their maps.
Where I'm at, though, I've got it easy - I'm within a block of nine separate bus routes so I can get pretty much anywhere with minimal effort and wait times, helped immensely by Google adding bus schedules to their maps.
and it's outdated, there's quite a few more lines than that now, with tons under construction
Kuro Madoushi
Unconfirmed Member
As a Seattleite, this makes me really damn envious.
Seven Force
Banned
I'm fine with NYC's Subway system for the most part. Aside from some overcrowding on some lines (They really need to finish the Second Ave Subway... that's been in the works on and off for what, 40 or so years?) and some ridiculous reroutes on weekends, it's generally okay.
Hcoregamer00
The 'H' stands for hentai.
According to the Wikipedia: "Seoul's metropolitan government employs several mathematicians to coordinate the subway, bus, and traffic schedules into one timetable."
HOLY CRAP!
Not only that it have such an extensive system, everything is completely synchronized
SniperHunter
Banned
I live in Toronto and yes the transit here is superb. You can go in and out of the city really quickly, this is great for me cause I hate driving on the highway.
I agree with everything!
And it gets much much worse once you get out of San Francisco
Muni isn't that great but once you go a tiny bit south and you have to deal with samtrans you start missing muni :/
They take it off at night so that they can do maintenance on the track. I do think that they should keep them on longer. You'd think they would be able to keep it on until 3 on the weekend and close it earlier during the week to compensate but maybe that doesn't really fit with the maintenance demands.
TTC is pretty mediocre. Prices are always rising and services are constantly being cut. Nothing ever happens in terms of construction because of stupid ass politicians hoping to leave their legacy behind and anything that does happen takes decades of planning and another decade of construction (YorkU subway extension). And the subways close way too early (some lines 130, others 12:30 due to forever construction) - it should be open AT LEAST to 3 am, especially on weekends.
I feel our subway system is soo behind those of other major cities. The TTC just cannot support the amount of riders we have. And FUCK the politicians, always screwing up any potential growth but at the same time refusing to provide proper funding.
I feel our subway system is soo behind those of other major cities. The TTC just cannot support the amount of riders we have. And FUCK the politicians, always screwing up any potential growth but at the same time refusing to provide proper funding.
For what it's worth, the Viaduct was a horrible transportation solution for the city to begin with. It cut off the waterfront from the rest of the city and prevented development in a large part of the CBD. With that being said, the deep bore tunnel is a shit replacement. Should have gone with a surface/streetcar option. :|
BrLvgThrChmstry
Banned
If I lived in the greater Atlanta area, I'm sure I'd be 'content' with it's current state but yeah, that's not the case. Even then, its still crap compared to where I'm natively from (New York City). GTC (Gwinnett County transit) is an exercise in extreme patience and... bleh, its garbage but what you gonna do about it. Personal transportation (specifically cars) have and probably will always be the primary mode of getting around here. I'm not mad but I am hopeful it will expand at some point. I remember when I first came to GA, GTC didn't even exist. So yeah, progress and all that jazz.
beat
Member
Yes, Skytrain absolutely should run later in the night. But that said, I was largely satisfied with Vancouver's transit for coverage and frequency.
Heh. Years ago, my Seattle-based extended family used to be amazed -- in a bad way -- that I relied on transit. I never really understood why they thought I was crazy, until I told them that the buses I relied on ran every 9-10 minutes.
(Out in Vancouver's burbs, the frequencies are more like 20-60 minutes, of course. It's not all roses.)
I live in LA now, still carfree. It's not perfect, but honestly, LA's transit right now isn't terrible. The key thing about LA is that it is freaking huge and that would strain any transit system. Having hooked up LA's main system to Nextbus - so you can get actual GPS-aided next bus estimates - is so helpful.
That said, I really hate it when regions have multiple independent transit agencies. LA has its MTA, Culver City, Santa Monica, LADOT, DASH, etc run systems. I've lived in the Bay Area briefly and I hated the fragmentation there too. (SF Muni seemed OK in my occasional visits; the South Bay's VTA was awful for frequency. Caltrain was not nearly as frequent as BART, but it was the only game in town to get from the South Bay to SF.)
I visited Shanghai in 2010 and the subway system was quite extensive -- I think -- and incredibly new. To be honest, it's a little scary how fast they built all those lines.
You Are Viewtiful
Member
I'm in Richmond Hill, so just north of Toronto. The first paragraph is a long rant, so you can skip to the nicer second paragraph if you want
The YRT goes on strike way too often. I'm sure many have heard of our 4 month strike earlier this year, which was in the dead of winter. Stupid (yes, stupid) picketing bus drivers decided to ruin our lives and buses which were supposed to come every 15 minutes came unpredictably once about every 2 hours. My attendance in my morning classes dropped from a perfect attendance to about 70% absence/lates. One of the most frustrating experiences of my life. Dumbass picketers, chairmen and the politicians at Queen's Park who sat on their warm cozy asses all day and did absolutely nothing to speed up talks, while my ass was out there freezing in -15C weather waiting 1 hour for a bus that's suppose to come every 15 minutes. I got my aunt to drive me a lot of days, or I took a taxi but a lot of days there weren't any options so I froze my ass off or decided to sleep in.
Anyways, other than that, the YRT is great. I love VIVA (our BRT system), and the other buses can take you anywhere in the city. My main gripe is price ($120/month for adults), and frequency of service. The latter can be almost as bad as one bus every 45 minutes on off-peak hours. I've even fainted because of heat exhaustion before because it would take less time to walk than wait for a bus, but that's not advisable in 40C weather.
Compared to Toronto, IMO other than frequencies, we beat you guys in a lot of categories. Our drivers are more polite, the buses are cleaner, everything is automated, the VIVA is awesome, the buses are more likely to be on time (and there's an actual schedule, not "the bus comes every 10 minutes") and they're less crowded so it's a more pleasant experience.
As for subways, the TTC was supposed to expand the Yonge line to Richmond Hill but like everything with TTC, it's too good to be true and it gets cancelled and brought up again all the time. The Spadina extension to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre looks more definite, but I don't live anywhere near there, and neither does most of York Region, so I'll still be taking Finch Station for my Toronto trips.
What I like most about YRT is that it DOES appear to get better every year, unlike our friends to the South (Toronto) which looks like it's has only got worse compared to even 30 years ago, let alone last year
The YRT goes on strike way too often. I'm sure many have heard of our 4 month strike earlier this year, which was in the dead of winter. Stupid (yes, stupid) picketing bus drivers decided to ruin our lives and buses which were supposed to come every 15 minutes came unpredictably once about every 2 hours. My attendance in my morning classes dropped from a perfect attendance to about 70% absence/lates. One of the most frustrating experiences of my life. Dumbass picketers, chairmen and the politicians at Queen's Park who sat on their warm cozy asses all day and did absolutely nothing to speed up talks, while my ass was out there freezing in -15C weather waiting 1 hour for a bus that's suppose to come every 15 minutes. I got my aunt to drive me a lot of days, or I took a taxi but a lot of days there weren't any options so I froze my ass off or decided to sleep in.
Anyways, other than that, the YRT is great. I love VIVA (our BRT system), and the other buses can take you anywhere in the city. My main gripe is price ($120/month for adults), and frequency of service. The latter can be almost as bad as one bus every 45 minutes on off-peak hours. I've even fainted because of heat exhaustion before because it would take less time to walk than wait for a bus, but that's not advisable in 40C weather.
Compared to Toronto, IMO other than frequencies, we beat you guys in a lot of categories. Our drivers are more polite, the buses are cleaner, everything is automated, the VIVA is awesome, the buses are more likely to be on time (and there's an actual schedule, not "the bus comes every 10 minutes") and they're less crowded so it's a more pleasant experience.
As for subways, the TTC was supposed to expand the Yonge line to Richmond Hill but like everything with TTC, it's too good to be true and it gets cancelled and brought up again all the time. The Spadina extension to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre looks more definite, but I don't live anywhere near there, and neither does most of York Region, so I'll still be taking Finch Station for my Toronto trips.
What I like most about YRT is that it DOES appear to get better every year, unlike our friends to the South (Toronto) which looks like it's has only got worse compared to even 30 years ago, let alone last year
Seeing a lot of new GTA / Toronto members, you guys should hop into the Toronto-Age thread if you ever feel like talking about the city.
NextBus has improved my experience with the TTC's service by leaps and bounds. Being able to know when streetcars are backed up and it's going to be 20 minutes, so I don't cook in the sun / freeze in the snow, and actually knowing when I should leave the apartment to catch a bus.
It's always amusing to see people check the schedules at 501 stops too, because no streetcar is going to be close to schedule most of the time. It's just a crap shoot, so thank god for GPS.
NextBus has improved my experience with the TTC's service by leaps and bounds. Being able to know when streetcars are backed up and it's going to be 20 minutes, so I don't cook in the sun / freeze in the snow, and actually knowing when I should leave the apartment to catch a bus.
It's always amusing to see people check the schedules at 501 stops too, because no streetcar is going to be close to schedule most of the time. It's just a crap shoot, so thank god for GPS.
YES! this has made TTC a lot more tolerable.
SouthernDragon
Member
I'm seeing a lot of bitching from people who have more than one metro line.
I'm in Bothell/Mill Creek just down the street. I take the 413/415 from Ash Way each day. Not a bad commute, usually 25-35 minutes, and the double-deckers are roomy, quiet and nice.
In Austin there's a bus system and the commuter rail line. I use the commuter rail line pretty frequently because I live in a suburban hell-hole and use it to get downtown rather than drive. That said, unless you live near one of the stations and only ever need to get downtown, it's fairly useless for most people. For instance, if your destination is a few miles from one of the stations you don't have much recourse but to drive because the bus system may not cover your route. I can't speak much to the bus system but I hear it's not so great either. Transit here is a fairly sad offering for what pretends to be a progressive city.
I live in Japan so of course the public transport is kick ass.
Osaka
http://flic.kr/p/B9dpX
Price - Decent for the most part. From a suburb to the city will cost you around 250-300 yen.
Timeliness - Close to perfect. Unlike the public transport in Brisbane, Australia where I lived most of my life the trains are almost on time to the minute.
Coverage - Look at the map. Pretty much every part of the city is covered.
As far as for when you are actually on the transport (be it a bus or train) it is generally very good apart from rush hour (which is too crowded). People leave each other alone (you aren't going to get harassed), it's heated or air conditioned as required and most people don't make much noise. About the worst thing you have to put up with is some smelly salary man falling asleep on your shoulder.
Osaka
http://flic.kr/p/B9dpX
Price - Decent for the most part. From a suburb to the city will cost you around 250-300 yen.
Timeliness - Close to perfect. Unlike the public transport in Brisbane, Australia where I lived most of my life the trains are almost on time to the minute.
Coverage - Look at the map. Pretty much every part of the city is covered.
As far as for when you are actually on the transport (be it a bus or train) it is generally very good apart from rush hour (which is too crowded). People leave each other alone (you aren't going to get harassed), it's heated or air conditioned as required and most people don't make much noise. About the worst thing you have to put up with is some smelly salary man falling asleep on your shoulder.
shanshan310
Member
Brisbane transport.
Cost: one of the most expensive in the world. 20 minute bus fare into the city is $7 (one way) for an adult. Prices rise 15% each year because fuck you.
Quality: Varies. Buses to the city tend to run on time, buses home sometimes don't come during peak hour (about 1 in 3 ever shows up between 5 and 7 pm). This leads to over crowding. If you are waiting at any bus stop after the second one don't expect to get on until after peak hour finishes.
Train stations are empty. I waited at central station for a train for 20 minutes and only one train came. ONE. at the busiest station in the city!
Cost: one of the most expensive in the world. 20 minute bus fare into the city is $7 (one way) for an adult. Prices rise 15% each year because fuck you.
Quality: Varies. Buses to the city tend to run on time, buses home sometimes don't come during peak hour (about 1 in 3 ever shows up between 5 and 7 pm). This leads to over crowding. If you are waiting at any bus stop after the second one don't expect to get on until after peak hour finishes.
Train stations are empty. I waited at central station for a train for 20 minutes and only one train came. ONE. at the busiest station in the city!
BrLvgThrChmstry
Banned
You sir (ma'am), have won this thread, I think. Seriously, that's nuts... specifically the price.
DirkDiggler
Member
DART Rail is currently the most advanced in Texas:
The bad thing about Dart is that it cannot expand further into the southern cities, due to local taxing laws.
and lol at Houston, wtf happened there.
I blame white flight.Most of places of interest have been sent up north to Whiteyville.All the good paying jobs are located in the suburbs that DART doesn't cover.What a misusecof tranit funds.
I agree. the Green line and Red line are always late.
7$ for a one way trip? What the fuck?
shanshan310
Member
I am not looking forward to the day I graduate and have to pay full fare.
arglebargle
Member
yeah, this. i love the subways in new york. i guess it would be nice if there were better ways to get across town.
That's my biggest qualm with Seattle's transit system, at it is served by three separate transit agencies. Sound Transit runs the intercity bus, commuter rail, and light rail service. King County Metro runs the local busses within Seattle and its suburbs, and Community Transit runs some commuter service from Everett into Seattle (and I don't know why). Sound Transit needs to become something akin to Translink, and handle all transit service in the Seattle Metro.
arglebargle
Member
since i have already made my love for new york's system clear, i guess ill post my thoughts on other systems that i know.
hong kongs is really good. trains come constantly, they are new and clean, and there is good coverage.
tokyos is awesome. i would say its coverage of the city itself is comparable to new yorks, though the cities are very different shapes so its tough to tell exactly. tokyo destroys new york when it comes to getting outside the city though. either getting to suburbs or getting to other japanese cities on public transit, japan is way better than the us.
the cheapest i have ever been on is in cairo.
bostons pisses me off. one of the great things about new yorks is that when you leave a yankee game there will be a 4 train waiting to get the 50k people home. in boston you leave a celtics game and two dinky cars show up 20 minutes later. also too much of bostons is above ground so it can have traffic issues. also the red sox suck.
most european cities i have been to have pretty good systems, they just tend to be expensive.
one of the great things about new yorks that is pretty rare in most cities is that the trains run all night. any system that runs all night is almost automatically better than any one that doesnt.
hong kongs is really good. trains come constantly, they are new and clean, and there is good coverage.
tokyos is awesome. i would say its coverage of the city itself is comparable to new yorks, though the cities are very different shapes so its tough to tell exactly. tokyo destroys new york when it comes to getting outside the city though. either getting to suburbs or getting to other japanese cities on public transit, japan is way better than the us.
the cheapest i have ever been on is in cairo.
bostons pisses me off. one of the great things about new yorks is that when you leave a yankee game there will be a 4 train waiting to get the 50k people home. in boston you leave a celtics game and two dinky cars show up 20 minutes later. also too much of bostons is above ground so it can have traffic issues. also the red sox suck.
most european cities i have been to have pretty good systems, they just tend to be expensive.
one of the great things about new yorks that is pretty rare in most cities is that the trains run all night. any system that runs all night is almost automatically better than any one that doesnt.
I live in Atlanta which has some of the worst public transit i've seen in the country. If you live in the suburbs or further out around here you pretty much are required to own a car to get most places.
Traffic around here is terrible as well. The main issue is that Atlanta is very spread out. It's not a dense area at all.
The closest MARTA station to me is North Springs which is about a 18-20 minute drive away. Otherwise i'll just drive into the city and hope there isn't traffic.
MARTA is also the only transit of its kind in the country that isn't funded by its state government. It's only funded by two counties and it's honestly very undefended. They struggle to get by.
Traffic around here is terrible as well. The main issue is that Atlanta is very spread out. It's not a dense area at all.
The closest MARTA station to me is North Springs which is about a 18-20 minute drive away. Otherwise i'll just drive into the city and hope there isn't traffic.
MARTA is also the only transit of its kind in the country that isn't funded by its state government. It's only funded by two counties and it's honestly very undefended. They struggle to get by.
Chicago's is great. NYC is obviously the class of this country, but I'd put us at second - including the DC metro.
Trains are relatively comprehensive - reaching the North, South and Western regions. For everything else, we have a little under 200 bus lines. You can get to either airport from downtown in 35-50 minutes on a train. $2.25 for train and $2.00 for buses with two transfers within two hours. $.25 for the first transfer and second transfer is free. $86 unlimited and there are weekly and 3-day passes available.
Only complaint I have is that there's no super direct way to get from the North side to the West side. You can take Fullerton/Diversey/whatnot -> Ashland, I suppose. They've built new tracks in the West Loop (think NYC's meat packing district circa 2004), and I'm sure it'll get better as that area gentrifi...err..."develops."
It's hilarious how the different lines have varying levels of cleanliness. You can (joking for the most part) eat off the floor of a Brown line train. They're finally rolling out these newer trains.
We also have the Metra rail, a high speed commuter train that services the suburbs - Union Station for the south suburbs, Ogilvie for the north suburbs. They do constantly have delays - random track issues and maintenance reasons.
In terms of the workers, CTA workers and conductors. I've talked to have been super friendly and helpful.
I'm actually an Atlanta native, so I'll add to the bitching about Marta. Ever since '96, there's always been talk about adding high speed lines from the suburbs. Of course, some assnuts in the state legislature went with the "...BU...BUT...BUT...THE "PEOPLE" DOWNTOWN CAN COME OUT TO THE SUBURBS EASILY AND THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN." message to kill it.
Trains are relatively comprehensive - reaching the North, South and Western regions. For everything else, we have a little under 200 bus lines. You can get to either airport from downtown in 35-50 minutes on a train. $2.25 for train and $2.00 for buses with two transfers within two hours. $.25 for the first transfer and second transfer is free. $86 unlimited and there are weekly and 3-day passes available.
Only complaint I have is that there's no super direct way to get from the North side to the West side. You can take Fullerton/Diversey/whatnot -> Ashland, I suppose. They've built new tracks in the West Loop (think NYC's meat packing district circa 2004), and I'm sure it'll get better as that area gentrifi...err..."develops."
It's hilarious how the different lines have varying levels of cleanliness. You can (joking for the most part) eat off the floor of a Brown line train. They're finally rolling out these newer trains.
We also have the Metra rail, a high speed commuter train that services the suburbs - Union Station for the south suburbs, Ogilvie for the north suburbs. They do constantly have delays - random track issues and maintenance reasons.
In terms of the workers, CTA workers and conductors. I've talked to have been super friendly and helpful.
I'm actually an Atlanta native, so I'll add to the bitching about Marta. Ever since '96, there's always been talk about adding high speed lines from the suburbs. Of course, some assnuts in the state legislature went with the "...BU...BUT...BUT...THE "PEOPLE" DOWNTOWN CAN COME OUT TO THE SUBURBS EASILY AND THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN." message to kill it.
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