Why do Houstonians not ride the Metro bus more often? (Dallas: crime, daycare)

[HookTheBrotherUp]

There seems to be a problem with a majority of Houston residents who will not ride the bus. For those who have been to Europe, and other cities, you will know that there is not a stigma as there is here.

I've seen executives in Switzerland, people going to the Opera in Germany, and nicely dressed people going out to party in Spain. I've seen young and old; etc. I do understand that most don't have vehicles, but it is obvious they see public transportation differently.

A friend of mine's only excuse was the oil stains on the windows and seats where people rest their heads. Some, like me, have strict schedules due to having to drop kids off at school and daycare, and picking them up afterwards. What reasons do you have for not riding Metro buses?

[turbodiesel4x4]

Houston, like Dallas, is more spread out in terms of density. It's not like New York City. It's harder to get around through public transportation than it is having your own vehicle. There's a kind of independence that goes along with having your own vehicle, too.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

There seems to be a problem with a majority of Houston residents who will not ride the bus. For those who have been to Europe, and other cities, you will know that there is not a stigma as there is here.

I've seen executives in Switzerland, people going to the Opera in Germany, and nicely dressed people going out to party in Spain. I've seen young and old; etc. I do understand that most don't have vehicles, but it is obvious they see public transportation differently.

A friend of mine's only excuse was the oil stains on the windows and seats where people rest their heads. Some, like me, have strict schedules due to having to drop kids off at school and daycare, and picking them up afterwards. What reasons do you have for not riding Metro buses?

And this is something unique to Houston? Huh?

[houstoner]

Because Houston, like most sunbelt cities, is an autocentric city, spread out with low density. Not to mention METRO buses are extremely slow and inconvenient. They don't run on schedule, they don't go where you need them to, and there aren't enough bus shelters to help block out the sun and rain.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by rb4browns

And this is something unique to Houston? Huh?

I live here, so can't speak or other cities. Maybe I should change the title to 'Americans' than Houstonians? But this is the Houston forum.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by neotextist

Because Houston, like most sunbelt cities, is an autocentric city, spread out with low density. Not to mention METRO buses are extremely slow and inconvenient. They don't run on schedule, they don't go where you need them to, and there aren't enough bus shelters to help block out the sun and rain.

When I first moved to Houston, I rode the bus every day down Bellaire and Bissonnet to get to and from work for a couple of years until I could purhase a vehicle. One thing that used to tick me off was waiting, sometmes more than an hour, at Bellaire and Stella Link for the bus. Then further down the road, I'd see two, or three buses back to back. I also noticed some drivers would just park their bus on the street and run into Jack n The Box to grab lunch!

Thanks for sparking the memory.

PS. In Switzerland, all the bus stops are digitized, and display arrival times. The buses communicate with the stops via GPS, so it counts down to the minute when the bus will arrive, no guessing. They are also always on time... but what would you expect from the Swiss in regards to time, eh?

[irishlover]

Until gas is around $5 a gallon or higher (like it is in nearly all of Europe) I will be driving my new car, thanks!

[crbcrbrgv]

I remember reading a story about public transportation in New York City. It was about how ridership on the buses was declining. A high up person in that department was quoted as saying, "Show me a person who rides the bus who is older than 30 and I will show you a life failure." I think that pretty much sums it up.

[RVD26]

Buses smell weird....

[Zhang Fei]

Gas in the UK is $7 a gallon. Parking in the city there costs money. Houston's population density is way sparser than most big European cities, meaning that the number of potential riders for any given route is way lower. Crime in Houston is also much higher than in most European cities, meaning that someone waiting at a bus stop is much more likely to become a statistic than his European counterpart.