Science and Society

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

everybody is different...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mass transit can't work if there isn't ANY where you live & work.

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?

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!!

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.

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.

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!