Density.
That’s really what drives it, specifically population density.
There are very few cities in the US where the population is dense enough to make a bus system practical.
To be effective, mass transit needs to meet at least one of
- lower marginal cost for a specific trip (i.e., the fare is less than gas and tolls),
- lower total cost than owning a vehicle (including periodic cab fares/car rental as pat of mass transit cost).
- enough more convenient/faster than driving and parking for a specific trip
long trips will sometimes hit the first one, but not very often in most areas.
Dense cities will sometimes meat the second, while highly congested areas will often meet the third.
And then add the amount of extra time it takes–If I were to try to commute to somewhere in downtown Las Vegas from where I live, seven miles out, I’ve got a 7-10 minute walk to the busstop, requiring crossing two major (3 lane each way) arteries that are part of a bizarre three streed and triangle intersection. It then comes, at best, every 20 or 30 minutes, and takes 30 or 40 minutes to get there (somewhat less for the express).
And then I need either another bus or cab to get to the destination.
And then reverse it all . . .
Whereas even in my '93 Fleetwood, I can drive there and be parked in 15 minutes, 20 tops depending on destination), and come back for less than a gallon of gas.
So more expensive
and an extra two hours a day to take the bus.
And I have somewhat better bus access than average here, I think.
Or there’s a line that goes a block away from me up Flamingo, but takes forever to travel the few miles to the strip.
So already having a car, it makes little sense to use the bus.
And running them more often isn’t really an option, as they’re generally not even close to full.
And then there’s the bit about spending time with the throbbing of a big diesel engine . . .
Even though I have parking privileges closer, I typically park half a mile away when I go to court, and probably walk a mile back as I detour through Fremont Street. I make sure that I pad my schedule 10 minutes for traffic mishaps, which leaves plenty of time to walk when there isn’t one . . .
I once rode Greyhound all the way across country, from Virginia out to California. It wasn’t fun.
I went to a conference in Europe during my Pennsylvania exile. The plan was to drive to the west coast to visit family the day after I got back.
My wife got antsy to see family and just took Greyhound.
With four children, from 11 down to four . . . .
she’ll never do
that again . . .
My mom used to experience dizzy spells, or maybe they were panic attacks, and she stopped driving soon after I was born.
I remember my mother
learning to drive.
Until that, she walked me to pre-school with my little brother in the buggy.
Neither grandmother ever drove, but they were in San Francisco, with husbands and eventually sons. (well, OK, one got behind a wheel once, hit something, and refused to get behind one again).
