Anyone else made the switch to public transit?

[marmar]

I've started taking the SMART bus for my 15-mile commute from Madison Heights to downtown Detroit with the spike in gas prices.
Conservatively, I was spending $70 per week on gas, in addition to $6 a day for parking - about $100 on the week. (Again, a conservative estimate.)
On the SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, for those unfamiliar with southeast Michigan parlance) bus, I spend $4 a day roundtrip (and that will be even cheaper when I switch to a monthly pass), and not having to deal with I-75 at the height of rush hour twice a day is adding years to my life. Plus I can actually enjoy my coffee and listen to the iPod in peace.
Et vous?

[Brickbat]

1. Nope, because there isn't any here in the country.

And I'm happy with the trade-off.

[MineralMan]

4. That's a reasonable answer for you.

For others, it may not be.

[Brickbat]

6. Very true.

Transportation costs are our "sliding fee," and we made the decision years ago that we were willing to cut elsewhere as necessary to pay for gas and live in the country.

[MineralMan]

2. Good decision, all around.

You might even have time to read something on the bus.

[HughBeaumont]

3. Been doing it for 10 years now.

Don't have much of a choice - monthly parking in downtown Cleveland is expensive as hell.

[Coyote_Bandit]

5. Not an available option

Public transportation does not serve the locations I frequent.

[itsrobert]

7. Good for you. What the difference in time?

A 20 minute commute by car, would end up taking 1.5 hours if I used public transportation.

[marmar]

10. 10 minutes difference max......The bus drops me off right at the front door of the office.

nt

[Poll_Blind]

8. Proud public transit rider (by choice) for 24 years now.

I have the financial ability to have purchased a car at any point in that time and simply choose not to. Some things are more difficult, but not as many as you'd think. Walking and taking the bus is a fabulous way to meet interesting people and beautiful ladies, as well, I've found. And also a few crazy people, too.

But I like to focus on the interesting people and beautiful ladies part.

Good on ya, stick with it!

:thumbsup:

PB

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. No, we have none.

But if we did we'd use it.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. What public transit?

[LynneSin]

12. I could take the bus to work but I don't. I have serious issus with car sickness

I will use it when I need it but I just get so fricking carsick. However, I made it a point to buy a house 2 miles from work so I would never have to deal with a long commute AND I have the option of SEPTA should I need to find a new job (Philly regional rail which hits Wilmington).

And since I only have street parking, I do like the idea that I have parking garage space somewhere should I know of an upcoming blizzard. I'd rather just leave my car parked at work and then I would use the bus those days.

[JHB]

13. Sold my car in 1995, never got a new(er) one

Of course, I live where I can do that, and I'd put enough miles on that car to go past the moon...

[readmoreoften]

14. I could drive 30 minutes to pay to park downtown and pay $40 a month to ride with my students

which means adding an hour and a half to my work schedule daily as I'm forced to hold office hours on a bus or sit awkwardly with the people I teach. Plus risk being stranded when I have to work until 8 or 9 pm due to emergencies. OR I can pay the gas, listen to an audiobook, and drive for 45 minutes each way.

Considering I have 1000 students a year under my personal care, it would save me only money and not time to take the bus and I would have to work harder than I already do. So I'm still driving. But if my finances get worse, I might be forced to take the bus.

[ecstatic]

15. Nope. Luckily I get to work from home most of the time

The public transit around here is awful. I'd sooner pay 5bucks a gallon before going there again.

[geardaddy]

16. It's quicker and easier for me to take the bus.

Occasionally, I'll get a ride downtown if my g/f is going that way.

[Cassandra]

17. Sold my car over 30 years ago.

Walking, bus and subway ever since. When I go up to MA in June, 2 subway trains to Amtrak to the commuter train to the burbs. Yay!!

[IndyPragmatist]

18. i walk everywhere I can.

I have to fill up my tank less than once a month. Since I've dropped below 100 miles driven each month, Progressive has dropped my rate for full coverage from $75/month to $23/month. Indianapolis does not have very good public transit, so I don't have much of a choice. Buses are routinely 15-20 minutes late, and the routes aren't really that great. Attempts to expand public transit in Indy has failed. It has become obvious that a higher quality system would lose the city money, its just now an issue of convincing the residents of Indianapolis to accept a system that can't sustain itself for the good of the city.

[merbex]

19. It's very measurable. I drive my husband to the train station

( we are waiting for warmer weather and earlier sunrises to make the walk to the train station) every day and there are 2 other wives who do the same for their husbands on a consistent basis.

It's the first train of the day into the city.

When gas prices last started this hike we watched as many more spouses made the effort to drive their spouses to the station. We saw a few regular commuters ride bikes and walk to the train station.

When prices went back down, we were left with the same 3 wives every day in the drop off area.

Once again, more drop offs, more bike riders and even a few walkers.

A real reading will be difficult to get because summer vacation season is approaching and commuter numbers will be off anyway but people's habits are changing and anyone can see it.

[WolverineDG]

20. I would but

the routes in my town suck & each ride is $1.50. No discounts or monthly passes. The only thing I use it for is going downtown because the bus stop is 2 blocks from my house & ends a block away from where I need to be.

dg

[bengalherder]

21. Yes.

Been using public transportation when possible since the 80's. Raised my kid to do the same. Currently I commute to work via bus, which takes the same time roughly as a car and cuts out the outrageous parking fees around my employer's district. Given the nature of my employer, I also get a break on my transit costs and pay $44 a month. It would cost me between $5 and $15 a day just to park if I were driving.

[Dappleganger]

22. If we had it I would.

What little there is even in the city has been cut back, re-routed to make using it completely untenable to use by those who have a job.

[Marrah_G]

23. I wish I could!!!!!

Unfortunately the closest rail station to my work is a few miles away and there is no bus attached to it.

[FreeJoe]

24. 4,000 miles per year

I put about 4,000 miles per year on my car. I bike to work most of the year (about 10 miles each way). I can easily take higher gasoline prices.

[RebelOne]

25. Not where I live.

I would still have to drive my car to the nearest bus depot, which is about 5 miles from my house.

[H2O Man]

26. Not an option here.

There is not PT available. If there was, I'd definitely take advantage of it.

[tapper]

27. Occasionally ... sort of...

My problem is that the job I took (after 19 months unemployed) is 34 miles away in the next town. There is no way to do a complete public transit commute. I can, if I'm willing to leave my car in the parking lot overnight, commute about 28 of those miles on a bus that was primarily set up to help students go back and forth between the university in my town, and the large community college in the other town. If I'm willing to leave the car at the community college (it's 15 years old, so not much of a thief target), I can walk a mile to the bus stop, ride the bus ($2.25 per trip with 10-ride ticket), then drive about 5 miles to work. Biggest problem is the additional time factor, though it is somewhat ameliorated by the less driving stress, and the ability to web-surf on the bus (iPad 3G, plus free wireless on the bus, when it works.)

At current prices, with my car's average 32mpg, I figure I currently save about 1.25/ trip at current gas prices...

(No parking costs)

And I can telecommute one day a week, but generally only if I have an appointment for something in my home town.

[AldebTX]

28. I Have

They just opened a new rail line that stops with in a few hundred feet of my work. In the morning I have a nice half mile walk. Besides reducing the stress from traffic I have the added benefit of losing a little weight by walking an extra mile each day.

[One_Life_To_Give]

29. 3 miles by foot and 80 miles via rail

Not to mention that commuter rail typically doesn't keep the same schedule as me. It's simpler to drive the 20 miles, than ride the 40 miles it takes the trains to get me there.

[shanti]

30. before i retired last year

i had taken public transportation (light rail) every work day for 10+ years. although it was a good 50 minute ride, it saved me a ton of money and i was able to get a lot of reading, knitting done. when i first started, i was able to purchase a monthly pass for $15(!!) a month. it has since tripled in price, but still a good deal when compared to gas, parking, and added maintenance for my vehicle.

it's great that it's available for you. many areas have no such thing.

[REP]

31. I made the switch FROM mass transit 17 years ago - got tired of being attacked on the way home

I'm too old and too crippled for that shit now.