Quote:
Originally Posted by USMichael
I think that perception is definitely a major part of it.
About 2.2 Million people reside in the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, so it is similar to DART with regards to having a great percentage of suburbs municipalities with no public transportation access.
One of the best improvements can be made by expanding service, because as service expands more people can see buses near their neighborhoods with their neighbors on board which could help dispel some of the caricatures put forward by the media.
However we have got a long way to go.
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Agreed but it is kind of a chicken vs. egg scenario in Texas. If "everyone" owns a car, what is going to propel them to ever consider using transit?? It takes longer, and (from a short-term perspective) is far less efficient than their own personal vehicle.
Case-in-point... I flew from Houston to Little Rock this past weekend, and did not take my car to the airport. On the way back, I wanted to ride the METRO Airport Direct, but the route was cancelled due to LOW RIDERSHIP. The Airport Direct was one of the best Transit services ever offered in Houston... $4.50 bus between IAH and Downtown. A cab ride the same distance costs upwards of $50!! That route was in operation for nearly two years. If we can't get Texans to use a no-brainer like that, how are we ever going to grow our local bus systems??