• redisdead@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    3 months ago

    My city started a program using taxes to pay for half the bus fares of citizens

    So I looked things up.

    Going to the nearest grocery store:

    35 minutes walk 15 minutes bike ride 6 minutes car trip 90 minutes bus ride somehow

    • ravhall
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      3 months ago

      Yup. Takes forever. If busses didn’t exist in traffic, having their own dedicated lanes… well, then we would have a light rail.

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      3 months ago

      My city also seems to have a weird focus on lowering fares to increase ridership. Going from $2/ride to $1/ride isn’t going to convince anyone to turn their 30 minute drive into a 90 minute bus ride. Or deal with the uncertainty of whether the bus will be at the bus stop on time.

      • redisdead@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 months ago

        Right, cost isn’t the issue.

        I wouldn’t mind getting a yearly subscription if I could use it anywhere, had more buses, and more routes.

        Let me pay taxes goddamn it that’s exactly what they’re for.

        • cinnabarfaun@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          3 months ago

          Idk, I cost can be the issue. I live in a city with pretty decent public transit, and there’s a reliable transit line that will take me to a friend that I visit pretty regularly. It’s like 5-10 minutes to drive and maybe 20 to take public transit. More time, but if public transit was free I would definitely take it at least 80% of the time.

          The problem is, if my boyfriend and I both go, it costs us ~$10 for the round trip. It’s hard to justify spending that when I already have a car, and the gas to get there is a negligible expense. I do okay money wise (hence why I have a car at all), but if you ride often enough that expense really adds up.