Buses are expensive?

[laohaire]

When I've lived in the city I've used the New Jersey Transit (train) and the Metro in NYC, but I've never really ridden a bus anywhere. I thought buses were supposed to be cheap - the tradeoff being that they are slower than driving and overall less convenience (bus schedule instead of your schedule, etc.).

But I just checked out the bus schedule and fare to go from a neighboring town to the large city in my state, which is 1 hour 20 minutes car drive from here (1 hour 40 minutes by bus, according to the schedule). It's $80 round trip!

If people who can't afford cars are going by bus - how can they afford to go by bus?

Or is this just unusually high or something?

Granted I lived in NJ years ago, but I paid around $200 or $250 a MONTH for a monthly pass on the NJ transit train, which was about 1 hour 10 minute commute. $80 for just one bus trip, though!

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by laohaire

When I've lived in the city I've used the New Jersey Transit (train) and the Metro in NYC, but I've never really ridden a bus anywhere. I thought buses were supposed to be cheap - the tradeoff being that they are slower than driving and overall less convenience (bus schedule instead of your schedule, etc.).

But I just checked out the bus schedule and fare to go from a neighboring town to the large city in my state, which is 1 hour 20 minutes car drive from here (1 hour 40 minutes by bus, according to the schedule). It's $80 round trip!

If people who can't afford cars are going by bus - how can they afford to go by bus?

Or is this just unusually high or something?

Granted I lived in NJ years ago, but I paid around $200 or $250 a MONTH for a monthly pass on the NJ transit train, which was about 1 hour 10 minute commute. $80 for just one bus trip, though!

It costs $80 to take the trip by bus. It costs several thousand per year to own a car. $80 is less than, say, $4,000.

[Auntie Sapphire]

Bus service within a community is usually not too expensive. In my area, you can ride from one edge of town to the other for $1 (a good 15-20 mile distance).

Bus service between communities, such as on Greyhound, is a different thing entirely!

[LoMaH]

Originally Posted by laohaire

But I just checked out the bus schedule and fare to go from a neighboring town to the large city in my state, which is 1 hour 20 minutes car drive from here (1 hour 40 minutes by bus, according to the schedule). It's $80 round trip!

Are you sure it's not the **monthly** roundtrip commute (say, about 20 roundtrips)?
$80 for one roundtrip would be outrageous!

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by llamalluv

It costs $80 to take the trip by bus. It costs several thousand per year to own a car. $80 is less than, say, $4,000.

So people who don't own cars only take one trip a year? If that were the case, the math makes sense.

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by Auntie Sapphire

Bus service within a community is usually not too expensive. In my area, you can ride from one edge of town to the other for $1 (a good 15-20 mile distance).

Bus service between communities, such as on Greyhound, is a different thing entirely!

This. In the SF Bay Area, between gas, upkeep and parking, it's much more expensive to take your car than it is to use public transportation.

Now, greyhound is another story entirely.

[texaspeach]

Is that a commuter bus, a grey hound bus, or an airport shuttle?

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

City bus service is subsidized. Tax dollars support the bus service. That is why it is "cheap" for each rider.

Greyhound is private and they need to make a profit on your trip.

(not trying to sound snarky, but that is why it is more expensive)

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

City bus service is subsidized. Tax dollars support the bus service. That is why it is "cheap" for each rider.

Greyhound is private and they need to make a profit on your trip.

(not trying to sound snarky, but that is why it is more expensive)

Yep, you're absolutely correct. If the city/county didn't subsidize your bus, it would cost a lot more to ride. As it is, it's much cheaper than taking your car.

Here in Hawaii, on the Big Island, it's free. It doesn't run nearly often enough or cover enough area, but you can't beat the price.

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

City bus service is subsidized. Tax dollars support the bus service. That is why it is "cheap" for each rider.

Greyhound is private and they need to make a profit on your trip.

(not trying to sound snarky, but that is why it is more expensive)

You didn't sound snarky, this made sense. It's Peter Pan, not Greyhound, but I believe that's still a private bus line so the observation is relevant.

So I guess the moral of the story is that metro buses may be cheap (this I still do not know!) but commercial bus lines are... NOT.

This sucks, I can't drive due to a disability, and live in a very remote part of the state. The commission for the blind suggested the bus, and I was excited about the opportunity to gain more independence, but it seems like I'm back at square one.

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive. I guess us blind folk who don't have alternatives! But still, that can't account for the majority of commercial bus users... can it?

[texmati]

So... I used to take a commercial bus from Austin to Dallas when I was in college. The price of a ticket round trip was around the same gas round trip. But... the nice thing about it was that it left from a place close to the university, and it *was* about half the cost of a plane ticket.

Also, the price stayed the same for last minute travel. So college students make up part of the demographic! Also, around here I think there are quite a few poeple who can't get a drivers license or other id that use the bus.

[shayinme]

Originally Posted by laohaire

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive. I guess us blind folk who don't have alternatives! But still, that can't account for the majority of commercial bus users... can it?

I take buses. I live in Maine and am not much a driver so when I want to go to Boston I take the bus, its $35 rt and way nicer than battling traffic in Boston. I know plenty of folks who will take the bus because its easier than dealing with traffic, parking, etc. If heading to the airport it also works well.

Sorry that your bus service is so high, I suspect location plays a part since while its $35 rt from Maine to Boston, I can take a bus from Boston to NYC for $20 or less.

[staceychev]

Where are you located? If you live in the northeast corridor, you can try the "chinatown bus."

Do a google search on Chinatown bus. You can also bring up a google search for "cheap bus" and it brings up a lot of hits. If you're in a populated area, there are definitely other bus options for city-to-city travel.

[Kyamo]

Originally Posted by laohaire

So I guess the moral of the story is that metro buses may be cheap (this I still do not know!) but commercial bus lines are... NOT.

The city buses here will take you anywhere within the (large!) city one-way, for a token that costs $2.25. Or you can pay $109 for an adult monthly pass which gives you unlimited rides. $109 x 12 = $1308 which is a LOT cheaper than the cost of insurance/gas/maintenance/parking of a car for a year.

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive. I guess us blind folk who don't have alternatives! But still, that can't account for the majority of commercial bus users... can it?

Well, a person who lives in the city using city busses and doesn't own a car may want to take a trip to another city sometimes. Commercial busses would be probably be cheaper than renting a car. And if this trip cost $80 and the person goes a half dozen times a year or so, they are still saving over the cost of owning a car.

[Dar]

Depending on where you are, you can check out Megabus, too... I know that you can get from Kansas City to Chicago for $3 round trip if you're the first person to buy a ticket for that trip, but usually it's only like $18 or so RT... and that's 10 hours or so, each way. They have routes in the northeast as well.

Rain and I took the greyhound from Kansas City to New Mexico and IIRC it was only $120 RT for the two of us, so it does pay to watch for sales and buy tickets early... the price goes up as you get closer to the time you're planning to leave.

Dar

[grniys]

Originally Posted by laohaire

So actually this does kind of beg the question - who DOES use commercial buses, and why? Given that they are so expensive. I guess us blind folk who don't have alternatives! But still, that can't account for the majority of commercial bus users... can it?

I've taken a bus with dh to/from the airport before. We were about 30 miles from the airport, and parking was killer expensive. The cost wasn't horrible for roundtrip to and from the airport compared to parking for a week.

DH has taken a bus from East NC to NW Indiana before to come get me and we drove back to NC together. It was cheaper than flying or renting a car.

Greyhound will often have sales during the summer. When gas is almost $4 a gallon and you need to drive cross country, buses are much, much cheaper. When you don't have a reliable car but need to go a great distance, buses are cheaper. When you can't afford airline tickets, buses are cheaper.

[Liquesce]

I've paid $99 for a roundtrip Greyhound ticket between Philadelphia and Los Angeles (um, not recommended), $70 for a monthly bus pass in Philly, and I think about $40 for a single one-way ticket between JFK Airport and eastern Pennsylvania. Prices totally vary by service type.

[Dar]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

I've paid $99 for a roundtrip Greyhound ticket between Philadelphia and Los Angeles (um, not recommended), $70 for a monthly bus pass in Philly, and I think about $40 for a single one-way ticket between JFK Airport and eastern Pennsylvania. Prices totally vary by service type.

Yeah, forgot to mention that I will never ever do an 18-hour ride on greyhound again... I can't even imagine L.A. to Philly.

FWIW, Rain's semester-long bus and light rail pass for our city was $126... umlinited rides within the greater St. Louis area, including a good chunk of Illinois.

Dar

[mamamelia]

$80 for one bus trip is too much.

yes buses are expensive.. at least where i live. a 3 min trip in the bus (yes, a whole 180 seconds) costs me $3.00 ONE WAY. now i'm not sure if these buses are private or govt owned but $3.00 for a 3 minute drive is outrageous. that's $6.00 for a trip that doesn't even cost $1.00 to do in the car. i cannot possibly understand how taking public transport is more frugal. it has never been for us. owning a SUV, paying registration/insurance and the cost of gas STILL leaves it cheaper for us in the end. plus we have the added benefit of safety harnesses for the kids, the convenience of coming/going when we please and the ability to put the potty and other essentials in the back so that we don't need to use public toilets for the kids and we always have first aid, blankets, water on hand etc.

i'll keep my car, and the ability to put the kids and pram in safely and at my speed (why do bus drivers not help AND expect you to juggle two kids, a pram and pay all on your own within 15 seconds or less). the last bus i got on, the bus started moving before we even had a chance to sit down - i had just paid him and he let go of the break and started to accelerate.. my 2yo almost smashed her face on the floor if it wasn't for patrons helping us out (thankgoodness for people who still have courtesy). so many bus drivers are plain rude, unhelpful and drive like crazy and i'll take my car anyday over taking a bus. i used to be a big public transport person, not anymore. just not worth the cost, not worth the hassle and the safety leaves much to be desired.

i am seriously becoming a part of the group "please don't take my car away, we don't want to do without it" which is quite sad really. i had hoped to be the opposite.

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by mamamelia

so many bus drivers are plain rude, unhelpful and drive like crazy and i'll take my car anyday over taking a bus. i used to be a big public transport person, not anymore. just not worth the cost, not worth the hassle and the safety leaves much to be desired.

i am seriously becoming a part of the group "please don't take my car away, we don't want to do without it" which is quite sad really. i had hoped to be the opposite.

This is so true. When I was driving, I was constantly being told I was the nicest driver. And seriously, I'm not that nice. I just treated my passengers like people.

Dh still hears it all the time. Some of the people we've worked with are real UAVs. It's not that difficult to be decent and polite, but you would sure think it was painful.