Ride the Bus

There's a great article in the 6/10/08 Seattle Post Intelligencer which both describes how more folks are riding the bus now that gas prices have floated into the $4.25 / gallon range, and gives tips on how to ride the bus for newbies.

I've mentioned before that I am a big believer in buses. More should be done to provide transit (or at least high occupancy) only lanes, and more should be invested to keep our buses running frequently and on time. Buses don't require expensive tracks and can be easily flexed as demands change, unlike light rail.

Bus fares only cover a minority of the costs for bus related mass transit, so as ridership increases, outside funding will also need to increase. Those buses are getting full, and that's great, but before long, we'll need bigger buses and more frequent service to balance the increase in ridership. That will cost tax dollars, in addition to the additional fare revenue.

Also check out one of my favorite blogs for all things bus-a-licious in and around Seattle: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/buschick/