How is the public transportation in Melbourne?
The public transport system is much better than other parts of Australia, but far from perfect. The tram network is quite extensive and will take you almost anywhere that is in the CBD or surrounding suburbs. Our train system extends a lot further with buses reaching a lot of areas that the trains don't quite make it to. The system itself is pretty poorly run when compared to super efficient systems in some parts of Europe, but not terrible. The numbers are as follows:About 98% of trains run, and around 90% are punctual (meaning between 1 minute early and 5 minutes late). Most trains run from about 5:30am-Midnight on weekdays and 7am-1am on weekends. Late at night there's barely any public transport during the week, but on weekends there is a bus system that runs almost all night called the Night Rider. This system gets me home fine but it's not very extensive so it's really luck of the draw as to whether it actually stops near your house. It also will generally have very drunk/strange people on it so keep that in mind. As for ticketing, we use a system called Myki, where you buy a card and top up money whenever you feel like it, then it deducts the fare off the card at the end of each trip. You don't buy a ticket for each trip, but keep putting more money on the same card. Personally, I use the system 5 days per week and haven't had too many troubles, occasionally a train is late or doesn't come but I just factor that in if I'm taking the train to something very important like a job interview. Hope that helps.
How is the public transportation in Vancouver, BC?
Transportation is adequate and reaches the suburbs. Most people who take transit to work inevitably move onto a main route for expediency. For ease of use I would get a Compass Card which is our version of an access pass to get around easily. It costs $6 I believe to get the card and you load it with cash. You tap it on card readers as you use the transit system. Alternatively you can buy passes at train stations (accepts cash / credit / debit) for a 90 minute session or day pass. On busses you must use coins or tap your preloaded compass card. An adult fare for 90 minutes in one zone during the day is $2.75. Fare zones deactivate after 6:30PM and on weekends / holidays.The skytrain system is easiest to board and navigate and has the greatest reach across the area. It comprised of 4 lines (Expo, Millennium, Canada, Evergreen) that connect and get you where you need to go. The region is broken down into three transit zones so depending on how far you travel you pay a greater rate. Most bus routes begin, terminate, or stop at a skytrain station.Enjoy your travels!
What is public transportation like in New Orleans?
The whole RTA system is affordable and relatively crowd-free compared to other cities' systems, but there are reasons for that. I'm lucky to have fairly good access to the better-functioning portions of the system, but plenty of it is in need of improvement.The busiest parts of the city are fairly well-served by the bus system during business hours. However, if your origin or destination is at any distance from the main transit arteries, it can be very difficult to use public transit. As Kitty Marziale points out, much of the bus system is cobbled together and ill-equipped, with stops in less populous areas lacking shelters, benches, lighting, or even a level, concrete surface to stand on.Streetcars are a whole different experience, especially the antique, historically protected St. Charles Avenue line. While the Riverfront and Canal Street lines are fairly reliable, handicapped-accessible and comfortable, the St. Charles line can be a complete crap shoot. Timing is terribly unreliable, the cars have to wade through automotive traffic for a portion of the route downtown, there's no handicapped access and cars are not air-conditioned. The last two issues are a direct result of the line's status on the National Register of Historic Places, which prohibits renovation of the cars. (All that said, its an absolutely gorgeous ride down St. Charles Avenue, especially on a pleasant day with the windows open, just not a very reliable way of getting to work.)The other streetcar lines are all fairly reliable in my experience. They run regularly and predictably, and are substantially less encumbered by automotive traffic than the St. Charles line. They are also newer and not beholden to the regulations of historical preservation, so they are air-conditioned and handicapped-accessible.To sum up: if your origin and destination are each within a few blocks of a busy transit corridor, then the system will serve you fine. If not, you're probably better off making your own way with a bike or a car.
What city has the best public transportation in the US?
If you have been doing searched on the internet for these "villages", one thing you want to look for is "smart growth" communities. The exact walkable community you are describing is a newer city planning principle of creating mixed-use communities where people can walk to all the amenities that they need (and are typically centrally located around major public transportation facilities). They are becoming very popular because of their effectiveness in mitigating traffic impacts, and thus these types of developments are beginning to pop up all over the united states. Try doing searches for "Smart Growth (village/community)", "Transit Oriented Development" or "Mixed Use Development." Using those terms to search should help you find that type of community you are looking for. As far as relying on public transportation, living in a large city will do the trick such as New York or San Francisco. However, if you would like to live somewhere more affordable and family oriented, I would check out both Portland, and Seattle. They have extremely advanced public transportation systems and are working on a number of (light rail and bus rapid transit) projects that should be dramatically improving their already advanced public transportation systems.
Is public transportation reliable in Germany?
Yes, totally."How reliable," you ask? Well, let me show you something if I may. This thing below is a BahnCard 100. It allows me to use (after paying $5k once a year) all trains, many regional transit, and most big city public transit options for free.I sold my car. I own a bike and a good pair of shoes. I do business all over Germany, from Berlin to Munich, from the North Sea to the Alps. And not once did I need a car for that. Public transit gets me to cities and around in them, extremely reliably.Yes, we have strikes and German Rail's legendary punctuality is simply just a legend, but it's still one of the most reliable and stress free ways of getting from A to B, no matter if A is 1000 or 10 miles from B.
Why is there no public transportation in the rural area?
Business are started only where there is an opportunity to make a profit. To do so with a transportation company in a rural area would necessarily mean that rates would not be affordable. Such a business simply isn't viable.
San Francisco Public Transportation Passes?
My friend and I are visiting San Francisco for a week in June. We are staying in a hotel near the airport. We won't have a car, so we will be relying on public transportation. I noticed that there are many different types of public transit in San Francisco and I was wondering if there is a way to purchase a pass that would work for all forms of public transit.