May I also make a plug for the Transit app, which is a transit- and biking- first wayfinding app! Have used it to lower the new-city friction for myself and others in a way that Google or Apple maps just doesn't.
Thanks for the tip (and for reading)! I have that on my phone but admittedly have never used it... old habits die hard. But that's super convenient that it's also biking forward! I'll check it out.
yes yes yes!!! the reason I take trains and not buses where I live is because buses are confusing as hell, they show up at completely ranodom times, and the ticket system makes NO sense to me. Whereas with trains, its clear when they are coming, buying a ticket to your location is simple as it could be, and its very clearly annouced when you arrive at your station lol.
I'm the same way about trains v. buses. I don't even think there are ticket stations at bus stops in D.C., and few people have cash. But yes! That's why those video boards in train stations are so helpful! It's been encouraging to see them slowly pop up at several bus stops here.
Very frequently, when there is a trade-off in public transit between rider convenience and cost-saving, the latter prevails. For instance, when constructing Phase II of the Silver Line to Dulles Airport in Greater DC, planners decided to cut costs on the Dulles Station by building it hundreds of meters from the Terminal itself, allowing automobile passengers to be picked up and dropped off right in front of the building, but leaving public transit users to schlep even further to their destination. These decisions may save millions, but they saddle us with infrastructure that is permanently ill-suited to the needs of its users.
Exactly! One part of prioritizing public transit that people don't like talking about is that it sometimes means inconveniencing drivers. I hadn't known about Dulles, but it sounds like par for the course for a lot of transportation infrastructure decisions in this country.
Your point on fear of driver inconvenience is so spot on that it spurs a related anecdote: when the MWAA reversed itself and decided to cheap-out on the Dulles station, AAA weighed in that “that’s an unqualified victory for area motorists," because lower costs for the station would require lower tolls on the local highways. (Cite: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/decision-made-to-build-dulles-rail-station-above-ground/2099752/)
May I also make a plug for the Transit app, which is a transit- and biking- first wayfinding app! Have used it to lower the new-city friction for myself and others in a way that Google or Apple maps just doesn't.
Thanks for the tip (and for reading)! I have that on my phone but admittedly have never used it... old habits die hard. But that's super convenient that it's also biking forward! I'll check it out.
yes yes yes!!! the reason I take trains and not buses where I live is because buses are confusing as hell, they show up at completely ranodom times, and the ticket system makes NO sense to me. Whereas with trains, its clear when they are coming, buying a ticket to your location is simple as it could be, and its very clearly annouced when you arrive at your station lol.
I'm the same way about trains v. buses. I don't even think there are ticket stations at bus stops in D.C., and few people have cash. But yes! That's why those video boards in train stations are so helpful! It's been encouraging to see them slowly pop up at several bus stops here.
To be fair our buses DO have those screens but they mean absolutely nothing and the time changes and buses disappear randomly LOL!
Very frequently, when there is a trade-off in public transit between rider convenience and cost-saving, the latter prevails. For instance, when constructing Phase II of the Silver Line to Dulles Airport in Greater DC, planners decided to cut costs on the Dulles Station by building it hundreds of meters from the Terminal itself, allowing automobile passengers to be picked up and dropped off right in front of the building, but leaving public transit users to schlep even further to their destination. These decisions may save millions, but they saddle us with infrastructure that is permanently ill-suited to the needs of its users.
Exactly! One part of prioritizing public transit that people don't like talking about is that it sometimes means inconveniencing drivers. I hadn't known about Dulles, but it sounds like par for the course for a lot of transportation infrastructure decisions in this country.
Your point on fear of driver inconvenience is so spot on that it spurs a related anecdote: when the MWAA reversed itself and decided to cheap-out on the Dulles station, AAA weighed in that “that’s an unqualified victory for area motorists," because lower costs for the station would require lower tolls on the local highways. (Cite: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/decision-made-to-build-dulles-rail-station-above-ground/2099752/)