Before moving to Pittsburgh, I was commuting from Des Moines to Marshalltown in Iowa--60 miles, an hour's drive each way. I didn't drive, but it was still a pain and major time waster.
In Pittsburgh, I found a minimal-walking bus path that required a transfer. It made the path slightly longer than the 5.6 miles from apartment to work, but still roughly a tenth the distance of Des Moines to Marshalltown. Surprise--it took about an hour each way, and longer if, as was far too common, the first bus in the morning was late or the second bus in the evening was late. What's wrong with this picture?
I'm back in the Des Moines area now, and hoping for a much closer workplace.
Busses simply are the worst way of commuting. They're slow, they're shaking you around the most, they stop the most, they let in most cold air when stopping, they're usually the dirtiest and most unpunctual.
In Pittsburgh, I found a minimal-walking bus path that required a transfer. It made the path slightly longer than the 5.6 miles from apartment to work, but still roughly a tenth the distance of Des Moines to Marshalltown. Surprise--it took about an hour each way, and longer if, as was far too common, the first bus in the morning was late or the second bus in the evening was late. What's wrong with this picture?
I'm back in the Des Moines area now, and hoping for a much closer workplace.