[bunnywabbit!]

How is public transportation in your area? Is it easy to get around? Do the buses run after midnight? Please also list where you live.

(If it weren't for my family members who drive, I would never be able to go anywhere here in South Florida).

[bale002]

The virtually one-choice domestic ground transportation system in most of the country is one of the structural weaknesses of the US economy and is in part a cause of some major foreign policy disasters recently.

Once a few years ago I put "serious transportation policy" in a Google search and came up with nothing, zilch, zero, squat, nada, un *****. Apparently the concept does not exist in US public discourse.

Having said that, as you know, living in southern Florida, there is the Tri-Rail system linking Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade Counties:

- first, the quality of the trains communicates the impression that they built the system only begrudgingly;

- second, the system parallels 95 and almost all of the stations are located off 95, meaning that one has to drive a car in order to actually use the system which to a great extent defeats the whole purpose;

- third, except for the peak morning hours, it runs about once an hour, and once about every three hours on the weekend;

- fourth, it is too slow to be useful if you have to travel across two counties.

In short, even Bulgaria has a better regional train system.

Dade county is a bit better off with the Metrorail system, connecting both parts of northern Dade and southern Dade to downtown, while downtown itself is served with the people mover's system (I forget the official name) which is actually free of charge.

With these two systems, Dade is moving in the right direction, and perhaps the county government can extend the Metrorail further south and west to make it more meaningful to a larger portion of the population. As for downtown Miami, there is talk of re-introducing a cable car system: some criticize it, arguing that it overlaps with the people mover's system and some bus routes, but I think redundancy and choice in regional and local transport systems are good things.

I will let others address the bus system: I haven't had the guts to figure out how it works (or doesn't work) in the tri-county southern Florida area.

Finally, worth mentioning is that some senior citizens communities, such as Kings Point in Delray Beach or various Century Village communities, have their own mini-bus shuttle services for residents, both within the community and to local shopping centers. I believe that Palm Beach County, at least, operates a subsidized mini-bus shuttle service for seniors within the county limits.

[RedWingsFan]

Just on the flip side - not everyone wants public transportation around. I'm one of them. I know that with the exception of NYC, most other major cities only offer public transporation in poorer areas. I don't want to live around that. Why? Take a look at public transporation systems. They are filthy, dangerous, the bus stops are gross, etc. Plus you spend WAY more time sitting and waiting for a bus and riding it than driving your own car. Just my two cents on public transporation... I don't like it! :-)

[FL_TN_Nana]

Originally Posted by bunnywabbit!

How is public transportation in your area? Is it easy to get around? Do the buses run after midnight? Please also list where you live.

(If it weren't for my family members who drive, I would never be able to go anywhere here in South Florida).

Central Florida has no effective public transportation system. Orlando has the Lynx bus system, but doesn't nearly cover what's needed. I live west of Orlando and we have zilch.

[sunrico90]

In Navarre we don't have public transportation... Fort Walton Beach has a small fairly good system for the area.

Do we want one? I don't because the cost and the schedules will not work for me. Most of my bussiness is in Fort Walton. Navarre is a small town that I Jan 07 will get a new Super Wal-mart. But we car-pool to save money on gas and we adjusted our work schedule to benefit the employees...

I'm used the ones in NYC and England and is superb.

[Prichard]

Greator Orlando has a bus system and that's it. And, I for one like it that way. I actually prefer the I-4 and 408 gridlock to ruining the outlying small towns with a mass transit system that will enable people to live even further out. That would destroy places like Geneva, Mt. Dora, Deland, Clearmont, etc. We would just be exporting our sprawl to these towns with more mass transit.

I know, I'm an old stick-in-the-mud, but that's just how I feel.

[cuse]

Orlando here....What public Transportation?

A few weeks ago we had a 15 year old driving a public bus picking up passengers. From what I've read, he drove better than those employeed!

This place needs a mono-rail, a-train or something.

[bunnywabbit!]

It's that bad, huh?

[soapboxsallysmom]

Although it doesn't come close to NYC, Tampa, St Pete and Clearwater are doing much better than in previous years. In Tampa there are satellite lots, transfer stations and most buses end up at most malls, eventually. There are many express buses for commuters from outlying areas as well. Tampa provides nummerous route maps for free to anyone who visits a mall (and will mail them upon request). For those of you who are timid about a bus excursion, dedicate a day or two to riding around, getting familiar with the routes and where they connect/intersect. I'll admit, it's a bit scary for a little old lady (at first), but my dear friend (who is now deceased), managed to go anywhere she needed by bus, and that was 20 years ago. It's far better now. We are working towards monorail/light rail to enhanse the current bus system. Quite an undertaking now.