I don't know if this plan is in any way practical or feasible, but damn it sounds wicked cool!
Showing posts with label public transportation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public transportation. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Alternative Transportation
Today is the second day I used my bike to get to work. My job is about 19.4 miles from my house, so I cheat a little. I bike 2.8 miles, catch a bus, and then bike 2.9 miles to my office (all distances courtesey of Google Maps).
The ZOOM bus provides the crucial link between Portland and Biddeford for me. Sadly, like many other public transit agencies, they've been forced to cut back on services and raise their prices. Formerly it was $3.00 a ride, and $58.00 for a monthly pass. It's now $5.00 a ride and $80.00 a month, a considerable hike. They've also cut back a couple of runs. For example the last bus out of Biddeford used to be at 5:55, but that was eliminated, so if I miss the 5:35 bus, I have a long ride home ahead of me, or I can wait until 7:00 and take Amtrak back to Portland.
There may be sound financial reasons for cutting services and raising prices, but in any time, and especially a time of recession, the people it hurts most are the people who need it the most. My decsision to use the bus to get to work is a choice for me. I have a car, and I can afford to maintain it, but there are many who cannot, and these people shouldn't be penalized for not owning a car.
The ZOOM bus provides the crucial link between Portland and Biddeford for me. Sadly, like many other public transit agencies, they've been forced to cut back on services and raise their prices. Formerly it was $3.00 a ride, and $58.00 for a monthly pass. It's now $5.00 a ride and $80.00 a month, a considerable hike. They've also cut back a couple of runs. For example the last bus out of Biddeford used to be at 5:55, but that was eliminated, so if I miss the 5:35 bus, I have a long ride home ahead of me, or I can wait until 7:00 and take Amtrak back to Portland.
There may be sound financial reasons for cutting services and raising prices, but in any time, and especially a time of recession, the people it hurts most are the people who need it the most. My decsision to use the bus to get to work is a choice for me. I have a car, and I can afford to maintain it, but there are many who cannot, and these people shouldn't be penalized for not owning a car.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The good Liberal takes the bus
Suzanne and I wanted to see a movie Saturday night, and she was working in town, so rather then take two cars in town I checked the bus schedule, and caught the bus down town to meet her.
While my schedule doesn't allow me to take public transportation all the time, I do feel that at the very least I have an obligation to use public tranportation when my schedule allows it.
Besides that, it's not just a duty, it's fun. For me anyway. I'm a people person, I like to people watch. And I hate driving. And I especially hate trying to find a place to park in downtown Portland. I also have the luxury of having two bus routes pass near my house both heading to city center. There is the Six Bus and the Seven Bus. I opted for the six bus because it got into town a little sooner and I wanted do some errands before meeting Suzanne.
As it turned out it was a nice day for a walk around the Monument Square section of Portland. The bus got me there about 4:05, so I had nearly an hour to kill before Suzanne got off work.
I had some bills to mail out so I popped over to the Post Office on Congress Street. Then I hoofed over to Casablanca Comics to see if they had the third volume of DMZ. As it turns out they didn't have a copy dammit. Finally a trip over to City Hall to use the ATM, and then over to the library to meet Suzanne.
This is why I'm a fan of population density within reason. This all took place within a one block radius of downtown Portland. I didn't have to waste gas to get there, and got some badly needed exercise. Sadly we never did get to the movies, but we did have a nice sandwich at O'Naturals which is basically a restaurant that serves healthy, organically grown fast food, with the added benefit in that they also serve beer. Top that McDonalds.
While my schedule doesn't allow me to take public transportation all the time, I do feel that at the very least I have an obligation to use public tranportation when my schedule allows it.
Besides that, it's not just a duty, it's fun. For me anyway. I'm a people person, I like to people watch. And I hate driving. And I especially hate trying to find a place to park in downtown Portland. I also have the luxury of having two bus routes pass near my house both heading to city center. There is the Six Bus and the Seven Bus. I opted for the six bus because it got into town a little sooner and I wanted do some errands before meeting Suzanne.
As it turned out it was a nice day for a walk around the Monument Square section of Portland. The bus got me there about 4:05, so I had nearly an hour to kill before Suzanne got off work.
I had some bills to mail out so I popped over to the Post Office on Congress Street. Then I hoofed over to Casablanca Comics to see if they had the third volume of DMZ. As it turns out they didn't have a copy dammit. Finally a trip over to City Hall to use the ATM, and then over to the library to meet Suzanne.
This is why I'm a fan of population density within reason. This all took place within a one block radius of downtown Portland. I didn't have to waste gas to get there, and got some badly needed exercise. Sadly we never did get to the movies, but we did have a nice sandwich at O'Naturals which is basically a restaurant that serves healthy, organically grown fast food, with the added benefit in that they also serve beer. Top that McDonalds.
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