Why I Don't Take Transit
Sep. 14th, 2005 01:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeIt's difficult to be around me for long before discovering that I'm a train fan and a transit advocate. I'm not fond of buses, but they are a necessary evil. So why do I drive to work every day instead of taking advantage of transit? Well, I've wanted to do so, but here is how I'd have to do it:
6:11 Lv Fremont/Centerville AC Transit Route U bus (Fare $3.50)
6:51 Ar Stanford Oval
6:56 Lv Stanford Oval Stanford Marguerite Shuttle (free)
7:20 Ar Palo Alto Transit Center
7:32 Lv PATC (University Avenue) Caltrain train #217 (Fare $3.50)
7:46 Ar Hillsdale
8:07 Lv Hillsdale Campus Drive Shuttle (free)
8:20 Ar Peninsula Office Park
Total time: 2:09 Cost: $7 one way
Another alternative is the Dumbarton Express bus, but keep in mind that I'd still have to drive to the Union City BART station to catch it -- about three miles.
6:05 Lv Home Drive to BART Union City, hope there is a parking space
6:20 Ar BART Union City
6:22 Lv BART Union City Dumbarton Express (Fare $3)
7:11 Ar Palo Alto Transit Center
7:15 Lv PATC (University Avenue) Caltrain #215 (Fare $3.50)
7:27 Ar Hillsdale
7:40 Lv Hillsdale Campus Drive Shuttle
7:51 Ar Peninsula Office Park
Total time: 1:46 Cost: $6.50 one way (plus driving to UC BART)
Yet another alternative is to take the long way around, heading south on Altamont Commuter Express to San Jose, then back up north on Caltrain:
5:57 Lv Fremont/Centerville ACE #1 (Fare $4)
6:30 Ar San Jose
6:45 Lv San Jose Caltrain #313 (Fare $5)
7:16 Ar Hillsdale
7:40 Lv Hillsdale Campus Drive Shuttle
7:51 Ar Peninsula Office Park
Total time: 1:54 Cost: $9 one way
Besides all of the alternatives I thought of, the TransitInfo Trip Planner came up with an even more-complex route of AC Transit Bus to Union City Bus to BART to AC Transit transbay bus to SamTrans local bus, taking 2:25 and costing $7.25.
The drive takes about an hour to go 25 miles door to door, and costs an estimated $10 or so one way. With those numbers, driving is the only sensible choice. It's frustrating, given that I'm a transit supporter, but it's hard to reach any other conclusion.
Of course I can move -- there's nothing forcing me to stay in Fremont, other than I hate moving.
6:11 Lv Fremont/Centerville AC Transit Route U bus (Fare $3.50)
6:51 Ar Stanford Oval
6:56 Lv Stanford Oval Stanford Marguerite Shuttle (free)
7:20 Ar Palo Alto Transit Center
7:32 Lv PATC (University Avenue) Caltrain train #217 (Fare $3.50)
7:46 Ar Hillsdale
8:07 Lv Hillsdale Campus Drive Shuttle (free)
8:20 Ar Peninsula Office Park
Total time: 2:09 Cost: $7 one way
Another alternative is the Dumbarton Express bus, but keep in mind that I'd still have to drive to the Union City BART station to catch it -- about three miles.
6:05 Lv Home Drive to BART Union City, hope there is a parking space
6:20 Ar BART Union City
6:22 Lv BART Union City Dumbarton Express (Fare $3)
7:11 Ar Palo Alto Transit Center
7:15 Lv PATC (University Avenue) Caltrain #215 (Fare $3.50)
7:27 Ar Hillsdale
7:40 Lv Hillsdale Campus Drive Shuttle
7:51 Ar Peninsula Office Park
Total time: 1:46 Cost: $6.50 one way (plus driving to UC BART)
Yet another alternative is to take the long way around, heading south on Altamont Commuter Express to San Jose, then back up north on Caltrain:
5:57 Lv Fremont/Centerville ACE #1 (Fare $4)
6:30 Ar San Jose
6:45 Lv San Jose Caltrain #313 (Fare $5)
7:16 Ar Hillsdale
7:40 Lv Hillsdale Campus Drive Shuttle
7:51 Ar Peninsula Office Park
Total time: 1:54 Cost: $9 one way
Besides all of the alternatives I thought of, the TransitInfo Trip Planner came up with an even more-complex route of AC Transit Bus to Union City Bus to BART to AC Transit transbay bus to SamTrans local bus, taking 2:25 and costing $7.25.
The drive takes about an hour to go 25 miles door to door, and costs an estimated $10 or so one way. With those numbers, driving is the only sensible choice. It's frustrating, given that I'm a transit supporter, but it's hard to reach any other conclusion.
Of course I can move -- there's nothing forcing me to stay in Fremont, other than I hate moving.
