Can one be car-free and still live a comfortable life in Burlington? (Milton: home, buying)

[bouncing rain]

Thank you for such a thorough and thoughtful reply!

[Chadd1014]

This might help some people.

CCTA Announces Launch Of New Commuter Buses


CCTA is pleased to announce the launch of seven new commuter buses. The new larger buses will be phased into service on CCTA’s Link Express routes traveling from Burlington to Montpelier, Middlebury, and St. Albans beginning on Monday, November 19th. The seven 45-foot Motor Coach Industry buses will be the largest in CCTA’s fleet, offering 57 seats and the capacity for four bicycles.
CCTA pursued funding for the larger buses in 2011 based on the ongoing growth of its three Link Express routes and the clear need for additional passenger capacity. In the most recently completed fiscal year, the three Link Express routes carried a combined 146,757 passengers, which represents a 13% increase over the previous year and builds on substantial growth since the first Link route began in 2003.
In late 2011, with the support of the Vermont Congressional delegation, CCTA was successful in securing a $3,360,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Bus Facilities Livability Initiative to purchase the larger buses to meet the growing ridership demands. In addition to a 46% increase in seating capacity and a 100% increase in bicycle capacity, the new buses offer improved Wifi service, power outlets at every seat, and passenger controlled vents and lights.

[68vette]

I think the buses are a good idea, but if you do the math, the number of people over three routes is not many. The number one problem with CCTA or any other public transportation system in state is the lack of frequent routes. One example would be with one of the largest employers in the state. FAHC has a very large number of 12 hour shift workers. There is a bus that gets here in the morning, but there is no evening bus. Bus service is done between 6 and 7 pm. Also, there is limited or sometimes no weekend service.

[j_dennis_84]

I suppose you could live in Burlington without a car... But it would be time consuming and cold. It takes the bus system about a hour to make a 10 minute loop. And that's if the bus is in time. And the busses do not cover all of the areas you would most likey want to go. It doesn't even run on Sunday... Except for grocery stores. Check out the bus schedules at ccta. I think its ccta.org I cant check because my phone is acting up. But good luck.

[VTisforMe]

The bus does run on Sunday. It makes a circular loop through the New North End all the way to Price Chopper, via Cherry Street. How is that "only to grocery stores". It does not run in the evenings or often, but that is typical for Sunday service in many places. It's there if you need it and if you plan ahead.

[VTisforMe]

Originally Posted by 68vette

I think the buses are a good idea, but if you do the math, the number of people over three routes is not many. The number one problem with CCTA or any other public transportation system in state is the lack of frequent routes. One example would be with one of the largest employers in the state. FAHC has a very large number of 12 hour shift workers. There is a bus that gets here in the morning, but there is no evening bus. Bus service is done between 6 and 7 pm. Also, there is limited or sometimes no weekend service.

Well, if you are in Colchester there is no bus service anyway unless you live near St. Mike's. Shelburne road runs til 10:40PM. Pine Street til 12:05AM. Williston til 11:00PM. Essex Junction til 11:30PM. Even the Milton Commuter has a 9:40PM route. All in all, the routes and frequency of service reflect the population numbers. They aren't every 10 minutes, but with a bit of pre-planning you can rely on the bus as a primary transportation method. The ability to take your bicycle on the bus allows for even more flexibility. It's never going to be as convenient as having your own car, but the tradeoffs for some people outweigh those of a car.

The Link Express busses do not run late in the evenings and many of them not on weekends, which is an area for improvement, but the new larger busses and the newly separated Waterbury-Montpelier routes mean that demand is high enough for CCTA to invest in the service. Maybe extended hours and weekends are the next step? We can hope.

[68vette]

Originally Posted by VTisforMe

Well, if you are in Colchester there is no bus service anyway unless you live near St. Mike's. Shelburne road runs til 10:40PM. Pine Street til 12:05AM. Williston til 11:00PM. Essex Junction til 11:30PM. Even the Milton Commuter has a 9:40PM route. All in all, the routes and frequency of service reflect the population numbers. They aren't every 10 minutes, but with a bit of pre-planning you can rely on the bus as a primary transportation method. The ability to take your bicycle on the bus allows for even more flexibility. It's never going to be as convenient as having your own car, but the tradeoffs for some people outweigh those of a car.

The Link Express busses do not run late in the evenings and many of them not on weekends, which is an area for improvement, but the new larger busses and the newly separated Waterbury-Montpelier routes mean that demand is high enough for CCTA to invest in the service. Maybe extended hours and weekends are the next step? We can hope.

The commuter service is no where near as successful as it could be if the routes were more frequent or extended longer. My big gripe with CCTA is they are not willing to adjust the schedule (they don't even have to add routes). Two of the largest employers in the state (FAHC and IBM) have employees that can't utilize the bus services because of the times they run. When I was living in Central Vermont, it would have been a dream to get picked up at the park and ride in Montpelier and take the bus to and from work. I could get to work just fine, but I couldn't get back. If I worked an 8 hour shift, I would have to hang out for close to an hour. The number of cars that come and go from FAHC workers is growing so much, they have to park off site and bus in to the hospital. I would say CCTA is failing to capitalize on an opportunity.
CCTA did not invest in the buses, the buses were purchased from a grant. The $3,360,000 grant was from the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Bus Facilities Livability Initiative with help from the Vermont Congressional delegation.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by bouncing rain

My husband and I are thinking about moving from Seattle, WA to Burlington, VT with our two year old son. Neither one of us have owned a car for over 15 years (mainly for environmental reasons) and we really don't ever want to own one again. We use public transit, biking and walking to get around and have always lived somewhere that we can depend on at least one of these modes (I like walking the best!). A friend of mine just told me I would have to have a car in VT, that it wasn't negotiable, that "it's too cold to walk around". But she lived there for less than a year and she did not live in Burlington. I'm sure living anywhere without a car is "possible" but I'm wondering, would it be a hardship in Burlington? Has anyone had a good experience with this? Or know someone who has? Any input is greatly appreciated!

I would seriously bike or walk everywhere.

[MassVt]

It's possible, but not very probable. Burlington is fairly-spread out for a 40K city, and bus service is quite limited in areas. You would probably have to live near the University, which is near the medical center, and you'd likely have to work within the city itself. You'd find your lifestyle severly cramped, or prohibitively expensive, , or both. Eventually, you'd need a car...

[Logs and Dogs]

Car.

As others have said, possible, not probable.

I could also bang a nail into a board with my forehead, but it doesn't mean it is a good idea.