Public Transport, Why?

Public Transport, Why?

Just wondering. I've been forced to use trains/buses for a while and I hate them.

I personally feel in a City the size of Wellington public transport will never work properly because the population just isn't big enough, and hence it isn't viable to have trains running every 5 minutes (for example) which is what it needs to be to be of any real convenience.

Hence I'm just interested in why many people are following this growing trend of public transport.

Vote!

anyone who thinks their life is too important that they can't wait for a bus or train should forfeit the right to vote or in fact speak publicly on any matter

Public Transport is about self-sacrifice for the Common Good
or absolutely refusing to learn how to drive

I'd be more inclined to use public transport if bus drivers and the like treated other road users with common courtesy.

we have a couple of trainee formula 1 drivers down here for sure
can be a white knuckle thrill ride the #5 to South Shore

I take it you never use a taxi or a courier service either?

For a big part of my life I've picked where I've lived based on accessibility- walking around a lot to town and back, public transport in Auckland, Brisbane and Korea- so I think you have to choose where you live and when you work with it in mind.

Good train or busway >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>bus

12 minutes Mt Albert to New Market in all traffic. lot of headroom and no stop starting or exhaust like on a bus.

Most real cities have a proper commuting/ weekend car culture.

Gotta disagree with you here. While yes, we can't have buses every 5 minutes except during peak times or on major routes, we don't need to. Passengers can wait a bit longer. I don't mind waiting 15 minutes for a bus so long as it's safe, timely, affordable, and the bus driver isn't a complete twat. 15 minutes is convenient to a passenger who organises their commute. Anyone who can't wait 15 minutes can drive.

You really need to plan ahead on it...good public transport is awesome. I remember being so embarrased when my gfs Mum in Brisbane was coming to NZ and intended to get around on the trains and buses like you can quickly and cheaply in SE Queensland.

I told her to hire a car.

It's not like you can't walk the entire CBD in about 20 minutes in Wellington.....

Station, Courtney, Basin, Zoo/Newtown park, airport...

Not everyone has the budget and luxury of being able to drive everywhere.

And if everyone did then it would be like Akld trying to get to work.

Suck it in and harden up!

Personally I will use pubic transport if it is CHEAP compared with driving my car in to town and financing a carpark company. Unfortunately it (pubic transport) is.

Am pro public transport and basically agree with the reasons you gave but voted Other. The Primary reason I'm for it is that good public transport just makes for a better city. Climate change and congestion are both issues, but I would support the cause even if they weren't. You have to think of tourists, and basic cohesion and happiness of citizens.

This x 1000, though I disagree with 5 minutes being the threshold, I'd put it at more like 10. Density plays a factor too, there's going to be a higher demand the more dense it is. Here in San Diego we have a population of almost 3 million in the urban area but public transport is quite slow and infrequent because the population is so spread out. Same can be said of nearby Los Angeles, which has 15 million people in the urban area.

However, New York has nearly 20 million people, and public transport is quick and efficient there, to the point of being faster than actually trying to drive anywhere in the urban area. Same can be said about places like London and Paris. Berlin is actually really spread out though also, from what I hear (mostly because my German teacher has informed the class that Berlin has nine times the area of Paris, but only a third of the population, about 5 times now).

DON�T JOKE WITH TRAINS

Yesterday the bus was 10 minutes late. Today it was five minutes early and I just missed it. I saw it sail past and I had to catch the next one and was 20 minutes late. Last night the trains were delayed. And I get email updates on Wellington's trains and they are ALWAYS delayed/canceled. No wonder people persist with their cars.

I'm a strong advocate of public transport but Kiwis won't get out of their cars until we make it more reliable and convenient.

for public transport even though I hate using it, especially during the "cold" season...being stuck on a bus surrounded by people sniffing and coughing is not my idea of pleasant.....re busses every 5 minutes - busses during peak times to Island bay run evey 10-15, it's not that difficult to plan the start and end of your working day around catching the bus.

Bus drivers are usually cocks, trains are mid-tier but to be honest, an ideal city would have walkways which would not intersect with roads, i.e suspended in the air.

Inner cities should just be pedestrianised, vehicles can be so inefficient.

Buses in Wellington should be cheaper. It is literally $2 to go one stop in the CBD, and if you get a bus from Courtenay Place to Newtown, for example, it's $3.50! Ludicrous for the distance.

I love my car. Yeah I know

Quoting myself here, but I don't really think what I said here was that accurate. I'm of the opinion that public transport sucks, even if it is faster to get around than in a car.

I gave up public transport a few years ago after 20 something years as a passenger.  It simply isn't good enough when your job is slightly away from the central routes, or you have variable working hours i.e. I'm hardly ever home in time for the 6 o'clock news/have never seen Shortland Street either.  I'm in favour of all and every sort of transport system, but being super honest, best transport system we have is for the car. 

I hate public Transport, but its the only way I can get around.

nearly 40, never driven a car. I've always walked, bused or biked to work.

 

http://www.dearmrlevy.com/

 

 

that's an awesome rant!