EcoWorldly

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People fall into one of two categories: those who ride the bus and those who’d rather lick paint. Which view is right? Sure, we love to hate the bus, but are all buses really that bad? As a side effect of my mulish refusal to own a car, I find myself riding a bus quite often. By riding many a bus in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, I’ve found three important criteria by which to judge a good bus system.

1. You have access to a good schedule and map of the bus routes. Certain places get a gold star for laying out a detailed, clear schedule. Others leave you guessing on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

Getting from A to B punctually and happily on the bus requires that you do a little bit of homework first. Your local bus is your city or town’s low-cost green chauffeur service. Find out where Jeeves stops as well as how often the lines run at different times of day and on the weekends.

If you’re traveling out of town on local buses, make yourself a travel itinerary of the connections to other bus or transit services. To avoid stress, especially if it’s the first time you make a particular trip, leave yourself plenty of time. When you transfer between bus companies, be sure to give yourself about a 20 minute window to catch your connecting bus. Give yourself more transfer time if the connecting bus comes less frequently than every hour.

Best on schedules: Most of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. In most of the world, schedules are available from the kiosk where you buy your bus tickets or at the bus stop. This has been my experience in Korea, Venezuela, Italy, etc. In addition to this, the SF Bay Area an easy-to-use website (511.org) and phone help line (dialing 511) with schedules, fares, connections… you name it.

Bust on schedules: Napa, California. In my experience, I’m embarrassed to say that one of my hometowns, Napa, California, is an example of a place where schedules are missing on bus stops, connections between other transit systems are horribly timed, and service is spotty on weekends. You’d think that in the valley where the world comes to get fashionably tipsy, there would be better mass transit.

Bonus on schedules: Buses get bonus points for coming more frequently than every 30 minutes. Excellent bus lines come every 5-10 minutes. More bonus points for coordinating effective, timely schedules with other transit companies to make transfers easier. Add extra kudos if there are regular evening, nighttime, and weekend buses.

2. You feel clean and comfortable on the bus. Suffice it to say that if a station or bus stop smells like urine, it’s not the nicest transit experience and it’s probably not going to attract the most elegant riders. Sorry Amy Winehouse.

Best on cleanliness and comfort: Seattle, Washington. For me, Seattle sealed the deal for comfort by offering a free wireless internet connection on some of its commuter buses. A close runner up is South Korea because of its cleanliness. The seats and floors are cleaned regularly by attentive drivers. Also, the bus stations themselves are hubs of socializing and shopping, which is pleasant and inviting.

Bust on cleanliness and comfort: San Francisco, California. San Francisco’s buses are amazingly frequent and widespread. They’re excellent for getting you where you want to go. Don’t get me wrong; I love traveling by bus in the city of gold, fog, and flowers. But let’s talk about the smell. The number 6 bus line, for example, runs on a route with especially few frequent showerers. 6, why can’t you be more like the 38, where smartly dressed men and women exchange glances while reading the Chronicle? What’s more, the SF Greyhound station could also benefit from a little “no peeing zone” signage. And while we’re on the subject, does anyone ever wash the seat covers on BART?

Bonus on cleanliness and comfort: Bicyclists among us appreciate the comfort of placing one’s bicycle on the bus rack to take a brake from the grind of pedals and relax on the bus from time to time. Bike racks on buses are definitely a bonus.

3. You feel safe on the bus. The importance of not feeling like you’re going to die should not be overlooked. First of all, riding bus is much safer than driving a car. Let’s just say that if your hummer or SUV and my bus get in a fight, I’m pretty sure my bus would win. Bus drivers are also transit professionals while too many car drivers are either inexperienced teens, Speed Racer fans, or cousin Joe with a six pack in the passenger seat.

Best on safety: South Korean Express Buses. Buses in Switzerland may be more posh; buses in Seattle may have free Wi-Fi; buses in Japan may be a hair more punctual. Still, for some reason, when I get on the bus in Korea, I’m more able to calmly forget about traffic and relax than on many other bus systems.

Bust on safety: None of the following make me feel especially secure.

• Busing through the cardboard housing ghettos of Los Angeles, California. Although the LA bus system in general is just as safe as any other, it’s the ghettos that’ll get ya. A two-year study by the University of California Transportation Center found that about six times each day, someone gets drunk enough or crooked enough to make bus travel unpleasant in LA’s inner city areas.
• Riding the bus on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. For all its beauty, amico mio, it seems like a small miracle each time a bus doesn’t fall off the side of sheer cliffs or get pummeled in the narrow tunnels along this coast.
• The number 25 bus route in London. According to London Local, this is London’s most dangerous bus route. Has anyone taken this route?

What makes a good bus ride for you? What good or bad bus experiences have shaped how (or if) you ride the bus?

Resources:

The Bus Station | Find information on buses around the world.

511.org | Transit information and more for the San Francisco Bay Area

Photo Source: Flickr