Hi. I'm not a big fan of cars, I live in midtown, I'm a bit of a development nerd, like the idea of mass transit and ride it when visiting other cities, I don't mind walking, and since living in Tulsa I've always worked within 5 or 6 miles of my home. And I've never ridden Tulsa Transit.
I'd like to. I've looked into it from time to time to see if I could usually ride transit, particularly on ozone alert days or when my car is in the shop. But it always seems to be more trouble than it is worth. I looked into it again last night and here is what I found (lets say I live near 31st and Harvard and I work somewhere serviced by the central bus station):
- It would take me at least 3 (likely 5) times longer to get from my home to work (stopping 36 times in ~ 5 miles?)
- It would likely cost a bit more ($1.75 to go 5 miles, my likely operation costs of driving are half that) and my family needs two cars in Tulsa anyway
- There is exactly one bus that could get me to work downtown by 8AM, if I missed that bus or it is broken down, I'm 40 minutes late
- Sometimes at work I need to go somewhere, transit in Tulsa isn't nearly efficient enough to accommodate (I could simply drive days this is likely, but it further supports the need for 2 cars)
- To get home I have to leave just before 5pm (bus leaves at 5:15), or wait until 6pm to catch my bus. If I work past ~5:45, the next practical bus isn't until 8PM.
I'm not trying to bash Tulsa Transit, I'm just laying out why it doesn't work for me and wanted to see what others think. It takes longer, won't save me money, and doesn't run often enough to provide flexibility. That's ignoring issues about waiting in the rain or heat, that buses are subject to the same traffic issues everyone else is, and other things inherent in bus travel. Other than making a conscious effort to ride transit, why would I? I get this this is a self centered whiny position, but I doubt I'm alone. Shouldn't I be a key demographic if we really want transit to catch on... or am I just not the right demographic?
It should be pointed out that Tulsa Transit has integrated with
Google Maps, put effort into their
transit program, and has about a million ways to lookup information on their
webpage. Once you learn how to get the information, its all there.They also have creative park and ride options, "rack-n-roll" bike share for free, info on employer subsidized transit, and of course ozone alert special fares. It really seems like they are trying to make it work.
If we could be a one car family and rely on transit, it might work. $45 a month for a pass would mean $540 a year for transit. That's a LOT cheaper than owning (insuring, fixing, fueling) a second car. But if it is hard for me to do it living in midtown, it has to be almost impossible for most people.
I'm not offering a solution, just wanted to start a discussion.