Are Seattle's buses overcrowded? (Tacoma, Vancouver: apartment, transfer, move)

[LowTune]

Wow, it sucks that much?

[benleis]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Good for you. The only problem is that on some morning runs, the buses reek, because the homeless seem to sleep in there at night, or something.

I'm sure you experienced a smelly bus but in my 20 years of riding multiple routes for most part the vehicles are clean and odor free. The average rider does vary quite bit from bus to bus. Some can be full of middle aged commuters, some with UW students others with occasional problem passengers etc.

[LowTune]

Originally Posted by benleis

I'm sure you experienced a smelly bus but in my 20 years of riding multiple routes for most part the vehicles are clean and odor free. The average rider does vary quite bit from bus to bus. Some can be full of middle aged commuters, some with UW students others with occasional problem passengers etc.

Have you ever seen anyone get booted off the bus?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by benleis

I'm sure you experienced a smelly bus but in my 20 years of riding multiple routes for most part the vehicles are clean and odor free. The average rider does vary quite bit from bus to bus. Some can be full of middle aged commuters, some with UW students others with occasional problem passengers etc.

I rode the buses for 20 years, and had no problem. It was only after I moved away and came back for a visit about 10 years ago that I ran into that stinky bus phenomenon. It seems to be mainly on morning commute runs, and may be only in some neighborhoods (West Seattle.... ), I don't know.

[CrazyDonkey]

Some buses can be over-crowded, in the County or the City, due to increases in demand, due to increased concentrations of housing or jobs. That's not true of most buses, however.

Occasionally, someone who reeks (of alcohol, urine, or both) will get on a bus that I'm on (it is "public" transit), but it is not common - if necessary, I just move to another part of the bus (riding two or three times a week, I've done that maybe twice in the last year). The homeless mostly don't ride the regular buses downtown, unless given bus tickets by a charity, since they are no longer free there - there is a separate free shuttle, however.

In general, the Seattle area has better bus service, and made fewer cuts to that service during the economic downturn, than most other areas around the country. If sometimes overcrowded, it is usually due to too many riders, rather than not enough buses. If sometimes late or with unreliable schedules (in peak/rush times), that's usually due to traffic delays or bottlenecks, something common to all buses (unless entirely on their own separate-grade busways).

The County did vote to cut bus service, but the City voted to reverse the cuts and add additional service. Continuing increases in ridership and tax revenues are moderating the cuts, however. Cuts are mostly being made to already poor-performing routes in the outer-suburbs.

[Hemlock140]

I have been on the buses from Sammamish to my office for 4 years. Until last Thursday I had not seen any of the homeless since they ended the free downtown bus rides. This guy smelled so bad that people were covering their noses with scarves, shirtsleeves, or even long hair. This was not in Seattle, though. He got on at the Issaquah transit center and took the 269 to Bear Creek in Redmond. As for crowding, some of the 554s, 216s and 218s to the eastside are standing room only since so many people in Issaquah Highlands started taking them. Within Seattle, anything going near Lake Union or from Ballard to downtown in the morning (and reverse in afternoon) will not only be packed but will zoom by and not stop when they run out of room. Thankfully my Ballard employee moved to Beacon Hill and is late less often.

[Kayela]

When I ride Metro busses, they usually have room, Sound transit is often standing room only. They could seriously use two busses at a time for the route I take (545 between DT and Redmond). Sucks if you get a 'spreader' or someone with no sense of personal space. I generally find copious amounts of perfume or cologne more offensive than sweat. As someone with a sensitive sense of smell - the bus is an olfactory minefield. :P

[GraceKrispy]

It depends on the bus and the time. I am on the 545 a fair amount as well, and I agree with Kayela on the idea that 2 buses for one run would still be full on that route during commute times. I generally stop in the Montlake area (to walk or transfer to the U District), but I make it a point to never be in a position to wait for the 545 from downtown to Redmond during rush hour. It has passed me by many a time because it was too full. I have also been on that bus when it's been so full I literally cannot move any major muscle group for fear of becoming intimately connected to someone else. Some buses are not nearly as busy, and non-work commute times tend to be much less busy.

I also ride the Metro a fair amount. It tends to smell more than the Sound Transit routes I've ridden, but I have never had to stand on the metro rides I've taken. For me, the worst smells have tended to be someone who obviously just smoked (or has been smoking all day). Makes me want to puke. I have also smelled some pretty nasty body odors, but that is less common on the routes I've taken.

[rmkiefer07]

I can only speak for the 120 morning/afternoon commutes but it was often standing room only when it got to my stop and that was at 6AM.

As for odors, the one that stuck out to me was marijuana on a regular basis. To each their own but for crying out loud, don't roll your joints on the morning commute. I'd have to walk a few blocks before the smell would dissipate from my clothes. Not good to walk into work smelling like you've just imbibed.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by rmkiefer07

I can only speak for the 120 morning/afternoon commutes but it was often standing room only when it got to my stop and that was at 6AM.

As for odors, the one that stuck out to me was marijuana on a regular basis. To each their own but for crying out loud, don't roll your joints on the morning commute. I'd have to walk a few blocks before the smell would dissipate from my clothes. Not good to walk into work smelling like you've just imbibed.

Very unprofessional to walk into work at 6 AM reeking of pot. At least wait until the 10 AM coffee break before lighting up.