Comments on: Pet Peeve: Crooked Bus Routes http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25 raising awareness of people-centered place design Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:14:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Allen K. http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25#comment-36 Wed, 06 Sep 2006 23:52:58 +0000 http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25#comment-36 <i>I wonder if it might be annoying to have to get on and off all the time?</i> My favorite bus system is in Budapest, partly because it's cheap and ubiquitous, but also to a great extent because it's a semi-honor system (see the movie <a href="http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0373981/" rel="nofollow">Kontroll</a>!) and I had a monthly pass. The effect was that I'd start walking the direction I wanted to go, see a bus heading vaguely that direction, jump on, decide after a while that it was taking me further away, jump off, repeat, without going through the hassle of having exact change, needing to dig out my pass, or stamping a ticket. BTW it would nice to have a "Preview" button next to "Submit". I wonder if it might be annoying to have to get on and off all the time?

My favorite bus system is in Budapest, partly because it’s cheap and ubiquitous, but also to a great extent because it’s a semi-honor system (see the movie Kontroll!) and I had a monthly pass.

The effect was that I’d start walking the direction I wanted to go, see a bus heading vaguely that direction, jump on, decide after a while that it was taking me further away, jump off, repeat, without going through the hassle of having exact change, needing to dig out my pass, or stamping a ticket.

BTW it would nice to have a “Preview” button next to “Submit”.

]]> by: Alexa A. http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25#comment-33 Wed, 06 Sep 2006 23:19:49 +0000 http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25#comment-33 I asked Seth, "So what would a bus system look like that mirrors our mental maps?" He said he was just curious what a transportation system would look like that has busses run up and down single streets (e.g. the High Street bus, the 8th street bus) and where you don't have to pay for transfers. So to get from place A to place B you'd get on the high street bus, then get off and get on the 8th street bus, etc... the way you do when driving or walking and taking the most direct route. Something like that (hope I'm not butchering your thought Seth). I agree that busses take a lot of time which is a big deterrent from using them, but I wonder if it might be annoying to have to get on and off all the time? I asked Seth, “So what would a bus system look like that mirrors our mental maps?” He said he was just curious what a transportation system would look like that has busses run up and down single streets (e.g. the High Street bus, the 8th street bus) and where you don’t have to pay for transfers.

So to get from place A to place B you’d get on the high street bus, then get off and get on the 8th street bus, etc… the way you do when driving or walking and taking the most direct route. Something like that (hope I’m not butchering your thought Seth).

I agree that busses take a lot of time which is a big deterrent from using them, but I wonder if it might be annoying to have to get on and off all the time?

]]> by: Allen K. http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25#comment-15 Wed, 06 Sep 2006 21:02:38 +0000 http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25#comment-15 More specifically, bus routes are designed to be space-filling curves, so as to benefit the non-able-bodied who need them to stop very close. In most of the U.S., people can't be bothered to walk ten blocks to get a bus. Similiarly, you might also complain about buses stopping every 2 blocks. A little time is saved at the ends and a lot of time is wasted in the middle. <i>they’re not designed to be necessarily the best and/or most understandable way to get from A to B.</i> This point would be better taken if any other public transportation option were provided. More specifically, bus routes are designed to be space-filling curves, so as to benefit the non-able-bodied who need them to stop very close. In most of the U.S., people can’t be bothered to walk ten blocks to get a bus.

Similiarly, you might also complain about buses stopping every 2 blocks. A little time is saved at the ends and a lot of time is wasted in the middle.

they’re not designed to be necessarily the best and/or most understandable way to get from A to B.

This point would be better taken if any other public transportation option were provided.

]]> by: Joshua Kaufman http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25#comment-8 Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:09:47 +0000 http://www.thisplaceis.com/archives/25#comment-8 Because population density isn't a straight line. In other words, buses stop where people need them to stop, and that is usually where people live and work. I understand your point, but bus systems are designed to provide public transportation; they're not designed to be necessarily the best and/or most understandable way to get from A to B. Because population density isn’t a straight line. In other words, buses stop where people need them to stop, and that is usually where people live and work. I understand your point, but bus systems are designed to provide public transportation; they’re not designed to be necessarily the best and/or most understandable way to get from A to B.

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