Comments on: The Trouble with Off-Peak Buses http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/10/22/the-trouble-with-off-peak-buses/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 17 May 2012 04:46:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Matt http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/10/22/the-trouble-with-off-peak-buses/#comment-1907 Matt Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:11:30 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=338#comment-1907 I live in London, and make good use of the off-peak buses. It's not unusual to have to stand at certain times of night, e.g. just after 3am -- and that's on a double-deck or articulated bus! Some of them are every 15 minutes or less all night, almost all seem to be at least every half-hour. That's a good service -- people don't want to wait at a bus stop at night, especially alone, so without this service they won't go (and it's not just people partying, there's people working at night too). Where my parents live (small city in England) the bus is every hour in the evening, and the last is at 23:10. That's so infrequent as to be useless -- I don't want the risk of waiting for 50 minutes! For people to use a bus service it needs to be at least half-hourly. It's interesting to note that the off-peak bus is as efficient as the SUV, and more efficient than the pickup, even though it's less efficent than the sedan. I live in London, and make good use of the off-peak buses. It’s not unusual to have to stand at certain times of night, e.g. just after 3am — and that’s on a double-deck or articulated bus! Some of them are every 15 minutes or less all night, almost all seem to be at least every half-hour. That’s a good service — people don’t want to wait at a bus stop at night, especially alone, so without this service they won’t go (and it’s not just people partying, there’s people working at night too).

Where my parents live (small city in England) the bus is every hour in the evening, and the last is at 23:10. That’s so infrequent as to be useless — I don’t want the risk of waiting for 50 minutes! For people to use a bus service it needs to be at least half-hourly.

It’s interesting to note that the off-peak bus is as efficient as the SUV, and more efficient than the pickup, even though it’s less efficent than the sedan.

]]> By: sasha http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/10/22/the-trouble-with-off-peak-buses/#comment-1885 sasha Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:21:49 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=338#comment-1885 Toronto has a large fleet of hybrid-electric buses but there has been some speculation that there is no advantage. In fact they believe they cost more and are only equally efficient as a 'regular' bus. The Toronto buses are older so the new technology with the batteries should improve future hybrid-electric buses. Off-peak buses is an issue here to. As long as your on the subway or streetcar it seems to be ok, otherwise it is quite a hassle to travel by bus. I frequently ask for rides to my local subway stop! Toronto has a large fleet of hybrid-electric buses but there has been some speculation that there is no advantage. In fact they believe they cost more and are only equally efficient as a ‘regular’ bus. The Toronto buses are older so the new technology with the batteries should improve future hybrid-electric buses.

Off-peak buses is an issue here to. As long as your on the subway or streetcar it seems to be ok, otherwise it is quite a hassle to travel by bus. I frequently ask for rides to my local subway stop!

]]> By: disgruntled http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/10/22/the-trouble-with-off-peak-buses/#comment-1880 disgruntled Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:53:59 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=338#comment-1880 What Steven said... here we have five buses a day, which means none of them are full, because only those who have no alternative (and no social life after 5pm) use them. In London, many of the buses are going over to LPG or even hybrid. I wonder if that changes the arithmetic much? What Steven said… here we have five buses a day, which means none of them are full, because only those who have no alternative (and no social life after 5pm) use them.

In London, many of the buses are going over to LPG or even hybrid. I wonder if that changes the arithmetic much?

]]> By: Steven Levy http://www.howwedrive.com/2008/10/22/the-trouble-with-off-peak-buses/#comment-1855 Steven Levy Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:04:32 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=338#comment-1855 Off-peak buses aren't independent of the rest of the transportation system. How many people take buses instead of cars because they know that there is (almost) always another bus if they miss one? The bus line closest to my house is largely empty in the evening; it runs every 30 minutes until roughly midnight in a large American city. But its presence encourages people to use the bus when it *is* efficient, secure in the knowledge that they will eventually get another bus. (Me, I walk home if I miss it....) Off-peak buses aren’t independent of the rest of the transportation system. How many people take buses instead of cars because they know that there is (almost) always another bus if they miss one?

The bus line closest to my house is largely empty in the evening; it runs every 30 minutes until roughly midnight in a large American city. But its presence encourages people to use the bus when it *is* efficient, secure in the knowledge that they will eventually get another bus. (Me, I walk home if I miss it….)

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