How long would it take you to take public transit to work?

[erub]

I just started a new job in Tempe, AZ. I can drive there in 15 minutes from my house in S. Scottsdale, and it only took 18 minutes at the worst. Uses about half a gallon of gas, so $2.20 in incremental cost (already own the car/pay insurance). Taking public transit (the bus) would take 55 minutes on the bus according to Valley Metro website, add a bit of walking on both sides, so over an hour each way, and cost $1.25. For me it doesn't seem worth it.

OTOH, in Atlanta it was faster for me to take MARTA (at least on the return trip) which sometime took over an hour but only 30 easy minutes of sitting there on MARTA. Saved about $3 per roundtrip also ($1 worth of tolls that I don't have here).

 

[Joemonkey]

an infinite amount of time since we don't have public/mass transit where I live

I wouldn't mind if it took a little extra time though, but I'd for sure have a PDA phone w/ a data plan

 

[Capt Caveman]

I have an eight minute walk to work.

 

[rivan]

I could use public transit for about 2/3 of my commute (only ~8 miles) and it would add about ~20-25 minutes, less (15 or so) if I brought my bike. My total commute by car is ~30 minutes. If I biked, I'd probably make it in 45 minutes.

I don't, however, because it'd be a ton of hassle getting the kids to/from daycare (and add about 2 miles of backtracking). The times above don't count any kid-dropoffs.

 

[OdiN]

Probably like 45+ minutes vs. the 10-15 that it takes if I drive there myself.

So in other words, a complete waste of my time.

 

[zoiks]

I take the train to work. I live in Sunnyvale and work in San Francisco next to the ballpark (China Basin) and its 35 miles one way. The train takes 42 minutes to get to SF and its a 5 min walk for me to work. If I were to drive then I'd probably be filling up every week ($70).
Oh yeah as a benefit, my company reimburses me for the commuter expense so I get the $172.50 back that I spend for the train (including parking at Sunnyvale). There's no reason for me to not take public transit.
It would probably take me 1 hour in the morning to get to work if I drove. Probably 1.5 hours coming back.

 

[Linflas]

When I commuted into DC it wasted 1 hour 45 minutes of my life each way per day to use public transit. Driving most days would only use 1 hour 15 minutes but leave me ready to commit muder and mayhem when I arrived at work and home. Right before I dropped out of the rat race I discovered slugging which averaged about the same as driving myself but without all the stress.

 

[Anubis]

an eternity as it does not exist here
i have a 35 min commute 1 way to work, there is no traffic, ever

 

[effowe]

Takes me a half hour to drive to work now. If I had to take public transportation it would take at least a couple of hours, I don't even know how I'd go about it. I would have to take the EL train downtown, hop on a bus over to the metra train station, then take the metra the same way I came from back out towards the suburbs. There may be some buses that would cut down the time, but it's so not worth it.

 

[sdifox]

there is no way I can commute to work and back by public transit and actually do work too. The 8 hours would be spend on public transit. Current drive is 2 hours. Each way.

 

[KeithTalent]

It takes me 15 minutes to walk to work. It takes about 8 minutes to drive, on the rare occassion I do so, and would probably take a good 20 minutes to take transit, but I've never tested that.

KT

 

[imported_Section8]

15 minute drive to the train station and 25 minute train ride. My employer pays the cost of the annual pass. It would take me about 50 minutes to drive + 3.00 parking. So for me it's a good deal.

 

[dainthomas]

I used to live two blocks from a Max station. Now I live 3-4 miles from one, so I'd have to bike or drive there. Take the train downtown, then bike or bus to work (SE Portland). Would probably take 60-90 minutes.

It takes 30 minutes to drive. If I worked downtown or lived closer to the Max station I'd probably do it. But one to two hours of my time isn't worth the $7-8 I'd save.

 

[nakedfrog]

It takes me about 15-20 minutes to drive to the nearest bus stop... which, coincidentally, is about 1/16th of a mile from work. Maybe 1/32nd.

 

[Gooberlx2]

30 minute drive vs 1.5 to 2 hour bus ride, and a monthly bus pass still costs just about as much as I spend on gas per month. So add the pass + trips/errands, and I'm out of pocket more $$$ and much more time than if I drive myself.

It's fucking stupid.

 

[MixMasterTang]

I would have to walk 3.2 miles to the nearest bus stop, ride that bus an hour, switch busses and ride another 25 minutes or so - So I would guess about 3 hours when you add in a few minutes to wait for the bus at each stop. I drive it in 35 to 45 minutes unless traffic is bad then it can take an hour.

 

[Alyx]

It takes me about 4 minutes on a skateboard, I can see my work from my house. It would take for ever to ride the bus though...

 

[HardcoreRobot]

Distance: ~5.5 miles
Driving: 10-20 minutes depending on lights. Has been over 45 before (rarely). Cost, ~2.00 in gasoline RT
Biking: 25-35 minutes depending on lights. Cost, Free (though I do spend time showering before work that i would otherwise spend on the clock)
Bus: 5 minutes to walk to stop, 8 minute ride to transfer stop, ??? time waiting for transfer, 32 minutes bus to final stop, 5 minute walk from final stop to office. probably, ~1 hr door to door. Cost, $2 RT

Driving advantages: can go out for lunch, sometimes have meeting in other buildings, fastest transportation.
Driving disadvantages: most costly, can backfire with bad traffic
Biking advantages: not influenced by traffic. cheapest. good exercise.
Biking disadvantages: spend more time commuting, must shower on both ends of trip
Bus advantages: someone else is driving, so it may take longer but that time can be productive (read, play DS, get work done (yeah right!) etc.)
Bus disadvantages: longest trip, not any cheaper than driving solo, lots of overhead (walking, transfers, stops) for a short distance

i haven never ridden bus to work, or plan to. i try to bike half the week and drive the other half. have a puppy i need to go home for at lunch.

 

[oddyager]

Right now I drive to the train station every morning (there is a light rail that takes me right in front of my office) and that's about a 12-13 min trip. The train ride itself is about 17 mins. I'm planning to take the bus to the train station after my parking permit expires what with the increase in gas and toll fees (paying 80 for tolls, 50 for parking, plus gas every month).

 

[gar3555]

Forever, or as long as it took me to walk...we have no mass transit system, but on the flip side it takes me about 7 minutes to drive to work.

 

[theknight571]

I looked it up.... if I walk to the bus stop... it's about 1.5 hours to get to work (2 busses); if I drive to the first stop, about an hour; to drive it with the current freeway closure... 40 minutes; to drive it with the freeway open... 20 min.

 

[Platypus]

I take it every day, 20/30 minutes depending on public transit shenanigans.

 

[Nitemare]

the Phoenix bus system is horrible. I had to do that for a few weeks. I was working near Sky Harbor airport and living in Tempe at the time, but it was close to a 2 hour trip on what was a 20 minute drive.

Live 10 minute drive from work now and wouldn't take the bus. A bicycle would be quicker.

 

[alpineranger]

2 hr for public trans only, 1 hr using commuter services provided by work + some driving, 25 min driving only (I usually encounter no traffic).

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Currently I have a 20 min drive or so depending on traffic and about 12 miles each way. So 24 miles, which is about 1 gal of gas means $4.00 or so a day.

I rode my bike to work and home on a Sunday a few months back to see if it was realistic. It would be, but take about an hour each way.

Then there is the bus (we have no light rail/mass transit except for busses). Assuming I wanted to deal with that, I would spend an hour+ on a bus and about $1.50 for a ticket. Not worth it IMO.