Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with transit

Passenger flow per stop on the Shanghai Metro.

priorpark17 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:23:52 -0800

The Shanghai Metro System: I am looking for detailed passenger flow per stop/station. The automatic turnstyle system must collect the data showing how many passengers leave and enter at every Shanghai metro stop. I wonder is it publically available. In Chinese is fine.

Bus bent my bike; am I stuck with the damage?

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:18:18 -0800

Locked my bike to a post, and a bus sideswiped my bike. Am I stuck with the damage? I stupidly locked my bike to a garbage can near a bus stop. A bus driver trying to squeeze past a left-turning car clipped my bike and pretzeled my wheel.

The damage is probably about $300 (unless the frame is bent in which case it's $1500). I don't have insurance. I do have photos of the scene of the collision, and two witnesses. I've made a report to the Toronto Transit Commission, and in three weeks I'll know what their claims department thinks of it.

Has anyone else tried to claim property damage from a Canadian transit system? What should I expect? If their claims department says no, what should I do?

Any not-legal-advice would be much appreciated

CTA advertisement: "Less Than Perfect"

phunniemee — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:57:30 -0800

[Chicago Filter] Does anyone know anything about the "Less Than Perfect" ads running on the CTA? I would love to know the origin of the ads that have been showing up on the trains recently. They're all black with plain text, and say things like:

"The guy who forgot to shower this morning. Again."
"The public-display-of-affection-couple."
"The guy who sings along to his iPod. Poorly."
"The woman who gives her shopping bags their own seat."

And they have a little thing that says "Less Than Perfect:" in the upper left-hand corner.

Anyone know what this might be about? There's nothing else on the signs, and they're not (overtly) advertising anything. Google only returns results for that sitcom from a few years ago.

My boyfriend thinks this is the CTA trying to be hip, but I say the CTA is too broke to be edgy where someone else could pay for advertising, but he thinks that there aren't enough paying advertisers so the CTA is just filling the space. I wanna know!

Finding a bus route in Rio De Janerio

fingerbang — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:06:49 -0800

In Rio De Janeiro having a great time but unable to find a map of the local bus routes. I'm based slightly out of town in Barra da Tijuca and would welcome any advice on direct routes from the beach into Copacabana, Zona Sul and the rest. Apologies, my Google skills fail me and I really don't want to rely on Taxi's for something so simple.

Want to install a 3rd party trailer hitch to a new 2010 Ford Transit Connect delivery van. Safe?

orehek — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:15:16 -0800

Want to install a 3rd party trailer hitch to a new 2010 Ford Transit Connect delivery van. Safe? We just bought a 2010 Ford Transit Connect delivery van (4-cylinder engine). We have read the spec sheet, spoke with our dealer and even called Ford's technical department with no luck...We just get a canned answer with no real thought behind it. Ford does not make a trailer hitch for the Transit Connect and they also do not recommend using one. However, there is a well-known company on the west coast (Valley Industries) that makes aftermarket trailer hitches for almost every vehicle known to man. Here is an online dealer who sells the trailer in question:
Trailer Hitch for 2010 Ford Transit Connect.
The vehicle has a maximum cargo capacity of 1600lbs…that much we did verify. Here is the reason why we think using a trailer ought to be fine. We deliver large boxes (30” x 18” x 18”) but they are relatively light, about 45lbs each and the Transit Connect can only hold about 10 of them at a time. If we fill the cargo space to capacity, the cargo will weigh only 450lbs. Therefore, we are still 1150lbs away from reaching the cargo max weight. This is the primary reason why we feel that pulling, say an 8ft U-Haul trailer hauling an additional 15 boxes ought to be fine. Any help and/or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Need original Italian tansit maps

patrad — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:53:07 -0800

Where can I order or obtain paper (not PDF) mass transit maps for Milan and Venice? I was recently in Milan and Venice on my honeymoon and one of the last days I thought it would be cool to frame mass transit maps from both. In Venice, despite maps being sold everywhere, I could not find a large one of the Vaporetto system. The one sold at Varporetto stations is tiny! I had similar luck trying to get a Milanese one at the main FS.

Anyone know where/who I could contact to obtain these through mail? I'd like originals and not just printed PDFs.

For instance I emailed the MTA and then sent me one free of charge. However, I can find a similar resource for ATM or Venice.

Thoughts?

Here is an example of the Venice one

Here is an example of the Milan one.

Should I rent a car during my week in Denver?

TheManChild2000 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:20:29 -0800

I'm going to be in Denver for a seminar. Arriving Saturday, leaving Thursday. Staying a little east of the city center. Should I bother renting a car? I'm pretty outdoorsy but also pretty cheap. Does Denver have sufficient public transit to easily (and without taking hours) get out of the downtown area into natural places for hiking and swimming?

The fast and/or the easy.

Goofyy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:22:09 -0800

TransitFilter: Lewes, UK (by Brighton) to Heathrow Terminal 5. Arrival 6pm tonight (Friday). Options? NationalRail's website says take the train to Victoria Station, then tubes to Paddington, then the Heathrow Express, total 2hrs ~20minutes. The other half hates taking luggage on the tubes, especially during rush hour. Taxi from Victoria to Paddington sounds stupid at that hour.

Options available include car. Question is, what's the perfect balance between comfort/ease and travel time? Occurs to me that it might be best to go some place like Woking, for example, then catch the bus (40 minutes from there to Heathrow).

Concern is that traffic will be heavy and slow, maybe worse than usual, as the weekend is looking pleasant. Sadly, National Rail doesn't seem to have a map showing intersecting lines, so figuring out clever combinations seems impossible without the knowledge of what goes where. Car all the way is possible. Thanks!

There has got to be a better way!

carmen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:01:35 -0800

Is there any vaguely reasonable way to get between Waterloo, Ontario and the University of Toronto at Mississauga by means other than private vehicle? It seems overly ridiculous to turn this into a 6+ hour (round trip) commute by taking the Greyhound to the main campus and taking the shuttle to UTM, but connecting to the Go bus via Guelph looks like it will take almost as long (although I'm finding it difficult to figure out exactly which routes/connections are best, so if you have done it, I'm all ears).

Help us figure out the best way to do the reverse commute

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:14:59 -0800

GTATransit filter: I need the hive mind to figure out the best way for my wife to get from Toronto to Brampton for her teaching job. My wife just accepted a job at a school near Hurontario and Steeles, in Brampton. We live near Danforth and Broadview in Toronto. My wife does not drive. What is the best way for her to get to her school using Transit in the mornings? She would need to get to work by at least 8:15. Anonymous as I would prefer not to link my account to her workplace.

What if a key BART station goes offline?

potsmokinghippieoverlord — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:22:16 -0800

[Bay Area Transit Filter] -- How to get from Oakland to Walnut Creek without BART? There's been some talk reported in the local soon-to-die paper that there will be a protest at the Fremont BART station today. Now, I don't travel on that line, but it got me to thinking: how would I get back home to Walnut Creek from my office in Oakland if either the Macarthur or Rockridge stations were closed, for any reason? I've heard of BART creating "bus bridges" to unaffected stations but that seems to take forever for them to set up.

I looked at 511.org, AC Transit, and the County Connection web sites, but I can't find a bus line that goes through the Caldecott Tunnel.

Should I just get ready to climb the Berkeley/Oakland Hills? Share a cab?

I'm pretty much fucked without Google Transit.

Asherah — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:20:22 -0800

When will Google Transit reflect the recent updates to the Maryland Transit Administration (Baltimore) schedules? I've been using Google Transit via Maps on my iPhone religiously to get around Baltimore (as a car-less student). Since recent updates have taken place, effective yesterday (as reported by the MTA website), Google Transit cannot provide directions anywhere, however Baltimore/MTA is still listed as a supported transportation service on the list of cities.

Any idea of how long I will be waiting for Google and the MTA to communicate schedules and I will be able to utilize it again?

Getting sent to Seoul in January

hylaride — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:36:08 -0800

I'm heading to South Korea next month and would like some info... Work is sending me to South Korea (Seoul specifically) for 7 days in January. I've got a few questions.

1. It looks like my Telus (cdma) blackberry will not work there as their cdma system runs on a different frequency. What are the phone rental options there? How much is it? Has anybody ever used these guys? Are there prepaid data plans for my Macbook?
2. What kind of transit pass can I get? My research shows multiple passes (T-money and Upass). What's the main difference? As a bit of a transit geek, I collect transit cards when I travel. I'd prefer a smart card, but if it's not available to non-citizens what can I get? Where can I get them?
3. Is Visa widely accepted? Will cash be easier for most purchases? What about those cash cards?
4. There's a chance that my co-worker and I will get most of our work done in 2 days leaving us with 5 days of fun, how easy is it to get to the DMZ for a day trip? Any other recommendations for day trips?
5. What are some neat things I can bring back that I can't get here in Canada? Both electronics and booze.

To the (LaGuardia) airport, quick!

that girl — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:05:23 -0800

What's the quickest way to get to LGA from the New York convention center for a 6:30pm flight on a weekday? I'm flying into and out of LGA on Wednesday, and need to know the best way to get from there to the convention center and back again. I get in around ten, so I'm not so worried about that way, but going back seems to set me smack dab in the middle of rush hour.

I'm willing to try any reasonable transportation method, and my expenses will be paid (within reason, I'm sure), so the means is pretty open. I'm not afraid of the subway. I'm looking for quick here, because I don't really want to have to leave at 3 to get there in time. I'm also not sure of the security situation at LGA, and what times are bad or good.

I won't have any luggage apart from something like a briefcase, and can check in ahead of time (get tickets for both ways in the morning).

So, how do I get there, and what time will I have to leave? (General directions for the other way also appreciated)

Cheap travel from Delaware to NYC?

viewofdelft — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:23:54 -0800

What are the cheapest ways to get from Newark, Delaware, to New York City? I'm a research assistant at the University of Delaware and as part of a long and wonkish I-95 corridor project, we've decided to produce a map or informational pamphlet letting students know the cheapest ways to get from here (Newark, Delaware) to New York City.

A few things to keep in mind:
1. Any mode of transportation is fair game (air, rail, highway, seaports, etc.), as is any type of vehicle (plane, train, automobile, bus, shoes, etc.).
2. Be creative, but within reasonable limits of safety (i.e., no airmailing oneself).
3. It's alright if many of the suggested travel methods begin in Philadelphia (and maybe even Baltimore) if these departure points are more familiar to you.
4. Cost is the most important factor, although I don't want to discourage that outlandish teleportation idea you've been waiting to uncork.

After we've completed the map or pamphlet, I'll contact each of the contributors about mailing them a finished product. Thank you.

What's the best way for a non-driver to get from central/downtown Los Angeles to Ontario Airport on a Tuesday?

mirepoix — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:01:06 -0800

What's the best way for a non-driver to get from central/downtown Los Angeles to Ontario Airport on a Tuesday? That's Ontario, California, in case there's any confusion.

Cost is a factor, time less so, although the Trip Planner at metro.net told me it would take 2 1/2 hours to get from my address to the airport using buses, and that's a BIT too long -- guess I'll reserve that for my worst-case scenario. Amtrak doesn't stop at its Ontario station on Tuesdays.

Can public transit be reinvented to meet America's needs?

gregb1007 — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:17:24 -0800

Can public transit be reinvented to meet America's needs? In many of America's regions, jobs are no longer concentrated in central areas but widely spread out. Hence, the old mode of public transit with trains traveling from the suburbs to city centers wouldn't cover the needs of most commuters. But can something better replace it? Has anyone actually theorized about a transit system that could move people to jobs in scattered and far-flung locations that couldn't all be covered by rail-line routes?

Do I need a Zone 1-3 Travelcard for this journey?

generichuman — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:24:55 -0800

Transport for LondonFilter - Am I on the hook for a Zone 1-3 Travelcard if I travel from a Zone 3 station to a Zone 2 station via an unavoidable hop into Zone 1? Here's one of those tricky questions about the London zone-system and travelcards. If I have a regular commute from Southfields (in Zone 3) to Holland Park (in Zone 2), do I need the full £100-and-change Zone 1-3 Travelcard? The problem is that this route, on the District Line's Edgware Road branch, goes through High Street Kensington in Zone 1. There's no interchange, but I'd technically travel through Zone 1 for one station.

Can I use a £60 Zone 2-3 pass for that journey, or will the system automatically charge my Pay-as-you-Go credit for passing through a station in Zone 1? (Or, would I be on the hook if a fare inspector were to ask to see a ticket? I never mess with my transit karma.)

I'd like to save myself £40 per month on this one, but I suspect I'm SOL.

Help my Bedroom Community Survive

IndigoSkye — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:34:49 -0800

Help me with this Urban Planning problem. I live in your typical bedroom community on the perimeter of a large metropolitan area. We have about 30,000 residents and a lot going for us in terms of community and location. We're going to get hooked up on the regions new commuter rail system, but it's on the far side of the community and I don't see it getting much use without a feeder system of some kind. Our regional mass transit system sucks otherwise; so we're on our own to develop an intra-community system that will keep our community vibrant, green, and support commuter rail. With cities everywhere turning inside out bedroom communities will become a thing of the past. Ours has a lot going for it, so I hope it survives, and it's getting a commuter rail, which might provide a lifeline. But I don't think that will be enough. I think it will need an internal mass transit system to move people around cheaply and efficiently and connect to the commuter rail.

We have about 30,000 residents and aren't likely to grow much soon. So I'm looking for examples of communities of about the same size that have great mass transit systems. How do they work? How are they funded? What could they do better? How would you design a system that works for a community of that size?

Some things about our community that constrain what type of system would work the best.

One, it would have to be covered as we get lots of rain and bad weather.

Two, it has to come close to breaking even as there will be little or no government subsidy.

Three, it has to be timely. You can get across the community by car in 10-15 minutes. Therefore no one is going to wait more than 10 minutes to get somewhere or they might as well have done it themselves. But you can drive from the center of the community to the edge in 10 minutes.

The community is set up with the commerce located mostly in the middle, apartments nearby and then small self contained single-family dwelling neighborhoods radiating out from there. There are two commerce centers, so picture a venn-diagram and you have our community.

There is a small possibility that we could get the speed limit lowered to 35 MPH throughout the community and encourage everyone to use NEVs when driving locally. This would be greener, but not exactly mass transit.

I'm putting together a proposal for the local board, so anything you suggest is helpful. Thanks

MUNI naming scheme

scission — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:25:14 -0800

Why does MUNI sometimes call a train N and sometimes N N? Where can I learn more about their naming schemes? I've taken the occasional light rail in SF without really understanding the announcer in subway stations. I didn't notice a connection between the double letters and whether a train has multiple cars, or whether it's inbound or outbound, but maybe I've missed something obvious.

What does it mean, and where can I read about MUNI? For example, I've also been wondering why my station announces "Embarcadero" and "Mission Bay" for inbound trains but specifies the letter for outbound trains.

Money is tight but I'll do the $16 if I have to

lorimer — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:23:47 -0800

Priority Mail or Express Mail? This Saturday I'll mail a flat envelope from NYC to a P.O. box in Bethesda, MD (20824); I want it to arrive by this Tuesday. Do I need to spring for Express Mail? Anecdotes welcome.

Learning the Chicago L

elgalan207 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:08:21 -0800

I am planning a trip to Chicago this weekend, and my goal is to learn the L by picking fun stops across the city (my husband and I are ex-New Yorkers who love mass transit.) What are some suggestions for fun places to shop/eat/sight-see that are close to L stops? Our starting point is Diversey and N Clark, but we hope to cover a lot of territory. Please include descriptions about your recommendations and (of course) the nearest L station name.

Getting to a Marlins game

robhuddles — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:16:03 -0800

I'm spending next week in Ft. Lauderdale, and plan on going to see a Marlins game sometime during the week. I'd prefer to take some sort of public transit to the stadium, but the Marlin's site doesn't mention anything about it. Is there some relatively safe/reliable way to get there without having to drive myself? If so, where's the best place to park to get on the transit? My big reason to want to go this way is to avoid stadium traffic, so I'd like to catch a bus or whatever far enough from the stadium so as to avoid that.

Escaping Toronto with a bike in tow?

anthill — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:06:14 -0800

How to escape the Greater Toronto Area for multiday bicycle tours? Difficulty: no car. My girlfriend and I just bought a tandem touring bike, and we're both keen to get out to the Ontario countryside for some summer tours. The catch is we have no car.

I know that the GO Train is one option for downtown cyclists trying to escape, but from what I can tell only the Lakeshore line runs trains that fall outside their rush-hour bicycle ban. The Lakeshore area is pretty nice, but I'd rather get to the Barrie area to access Tobermory, Parry Sound, or Algonquin.

Any tricks for escaping the GTA on a low carbon footprint would be much appreciated.

Can you identify this New York subway station?

dhammond — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:25:04 -0800

I'm flying to New York tomorrow to tape an appearance on The Maury Show and I need your help. Thankfully, it's not for a paternity test. I am appearing on a segment about the crazy online videos and I need a little background info on one of the clips we're using. Do any of you New Yorkers know at which subway station this video of a breakdancer kicking a baby in the head was shot?

I thank you, hive mind. And daytime television thanks you as well.