The express bus beat my car commute by 14 minutes, and I'm bitter about it

I've sworn by driving for years because the 7 bus downtown always crawled through traffic. Last Tuesday I gave it one shot since my alternator was acting up, and it took 38 minutes door to door while my usual drive takes 52. The secret is the bus-only lane on 5th that everyone forgets exists after 7am. Has anyone else had a public transit route quietly beat their drive time without the city advertising it?

2 comments

2 Comments

reed.elliot1mo ago

Man same thing happened to me with the 12 route last spring. Took the bus one day when my truck was in the shop and now I feel dumb paying for parking every day.

emerym361mo ago

That one ride was probably a fluke though. Traffic patterns shift week to week, and the bus schedule doesn't adjust for accidents or road work the way you can in a car. You also have to factor in waiting at the stop in bad weather, dealing with random delays, and the fact that the return trip might be a totally different story when the bus-only lane backs up in the afternoon. Plus, your car gives you freedom to run errands or detour without checking a timetable. A single win on one Tuesday doesn't prove much over a year of commutes. But hey, if it works for you consistently, more power to you, just don't toss the car keys yet.