Chart Of The Day: Mass Transit Isn't Hitting Critical Mass

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

From “Commuting in America 2013” via AASHTO. Lots of growth in private transportation, but public transit, telecommuting and walking to work have stayed fairly flat. Despite prognostications of a newly urbanized populace that’s hungry for public transportation, the statistics seem to tell a different story.

H/T Glenn Mercer

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Victor Victor on Feb 15, 2015

    Public transportation is a cynical, communist idea that nobody really wants. The farcical notion that newer generations would prefer to ride the bus is not only plain wrong but also surgically planned to disrupt freedom. Is it great to see society giving those leftists the statistical middle finger.

  • Krhodes1 Krhodes1 on Feb 15, 2015

    Huh, 200+ posts to argue that transit makes sense in places where it makes sense, and doesn't make sense in places where it doesn't makes sense. B&B? Not so much sometimes. Personally, one reason I bought my house where I did is that it is close to a bus line (two, actually, ~5-10 min walk in either direction). My roommate at the time didn't drive. She commuted by bus for years. Slower than a car, sure, but it worked for her. I do think telecommuting is the future. Does it really make sense for people to commute to cube farms to sit in front of a computer all day? You can skip the commute and just sit in front of a computer all day at home. My company is about 50:50 at this point. In my circle of friends, more than half of us do not have daily commutes. It would be very hard to go back to that.

    • See 1 previous
    • Krhodes1 Krhodes1 on Feb 15, 2015

      @Lie2Me Reading is fundamental - "my roommate at the time did not drive". We had been living together for 5 years when I bought the place, thus it was important to find a house located such that she could still get to work. We lived together for another 5 years before she got married and moved out. I had three criteria when house hunting: 1. located such that Kate could still get to work. 2. Broadband Internet available (not a given here in 2001). 3. A garage. Managed to score all three (2700sq/ft garage!) at a bargain price to boot. The added bonus was room enough for another roommate, who still lives with me to this day, 14 years on.

  • Jeff S Jeff S on Feb 15, 2015

    Robert you brought up a valid point in that where there were rail and street car lines were gotten rid of like LA's street cars. Downtown Cincinnati had street cars well into the 50's then removed them. Now Cincinnati is rebuilding a street car line with track with huge cost overruns and it will benefit few commuters. Matching transit funds was an incentive. Much government funding of transit systems are wasteful. Atlanta's MARTA is a good mass transit system along with Chicago's.

  • Frylock350 Frylock350 on Feb 17, 2015

    I thought I'd share my personal experience as a commuter who used public transit in Chicago to commute downtown for work for 6 years before abandoning it for the car. Chicago is considered by many to have excellent public transit. Chicago really has two light rail systems the "El" a largely elevated electric train that operated within city limits (there are a few exceptions) and funnels folks from the city's exterior to the interior. Then there's Metra, more traditional diesel trains that move suburbanites into the city core. I live in an inner ring suburb less than a mile out of City of Chicago limits; so both systems are accessible to me. I can and have ridden either system, however because of the massive cost difference ($100/mo vs $250/mo) I always rode the "L" so all of my comments apply to it. I can say without a doubt the ONLY advantage to public transit was the cost savings. I can also say without a doubt that what you don't pay in money with mass transit you absolutely pay in time. Taking either system cost me over an hour day more of my time than simply driving to downtown Chicago. As a new father this time is now extremely valuable to me; hence I've switched to driving. However the switch has also highlighted all the other bullcrap of public transit I no longer have to deal with. It was at least 1 - 2 times a week on the train that I was approached for money. I routinely stood getting pelted with rain waiting for rail/bus with no shelter. I endured searing heat on buses that had a measured 80+ degree internal temperature despite single digit outdoor temps. I attempted to remain upright despite being slammed into by fellow passengers that couldn't figure out how to balance themselves whilst standing on the train. I had to maintain a constant awareness of my surroundings so as not to have any of my personal items pilfered. The ride quality on the 5 mile bus ride from the rail station to my house often left me naseous and with a ringing in my ears (from extremely loud rattles, engine noise and jarring impacts on bumps from Chicago's poorly maintained roads). Personal hygiene is purely optionsl; the smell of body odor was a constant background as was the occasional urine smell. Lots of folks will also cough, sneeze and what have you without covering any of it up so you too can share in whatever malady ails them! Other customers will not so much sit next to you as sit on top of you. The seats aren't big, if you don't fit in one, just take two; I'm not Santa... On top of it all, some part of my commute was often late; connecting or "last mile" buses were often behind schedule, making an already slow commute take longer. That is the reality of public transit. It's dirty, smelly, hot, slow, unreliable and filled with people with the hygiene and personal space respect of a zombie. Is driving perfect? No, it costs me 42 miles a day round trip with associated E85 and parking costs ($140/mo). However the commuting times are dramatically shorter; the commute is safer (yes the risk of a fatality while driving is higher, but the risk of being the victim of ANY far more common violent crime (such as battery or robbery) is significantly lower. I'm not as exposed to infectious disease, the vehicle temperature isn't set to tropical rainforest, the ride quality is controlled and smooth, nobody ever put their hand in my face looking for money, etc. I'd rather sit in my truck for bumper to bumper traffic than ever ride the rails again. At least I get to spend another hour plus with my little girl every day. EDIT: If you are using public transit in Chicago to get around while downtown, it is truly an excellent system. However for commuting to and from work, its horrid.

    • Ect Ect on Feb 17, 2015

      Well, YMMV. If I stop to think about it, I've ridden subway/light rail systems in San Francisco, Chicago (El and Metra), New York, Atlanta, Washington, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, London, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong. They are all different. None of them are luxurious, of course, but my own experience has generally been much more positive - nothing at all like you report. Chicago's system is obviously old, and has the look/feel of too much "deferred maintenance", but it still worked satisfactorily whenever I used it. I will say that some of the neighbourhoods it passes through look not too enticing... Still, chacun a son goût.

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