Transit in my city is underfunded and mismanaged. Buses are called loser-cruisers . I'm looked down on for taking buses but don't care about that innuendo anymore. People in Europe don't frown at transit that way.
Yeah, it's unfortunate that this is the narrative in far too many cities globally and is an example of car-brain thinking. As you can tell, I just love it when I see examples like Kingston and Boulder where riding can transform into being pragmatic, empowering, and even cool. Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing your experience. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John
Thank you for the "south of the border" phrase. I now have that song stuck in my head. "South of the Border, Down Albany way, I fell in love with flashing eyes in a red Chevrolet." I love the program to use the public buses as school buses for field trips. Beyond familiarizing students with the idea of riding the city bus, it also saves a fortune on maintenance and hiring extra drivers.
Sorta, kinda, but not really. They striving to teach kids to ride transit so they are independent and mobile, that’s not quite the same as replacing the regular route school bus, although it certainly could. Now the other initiative of using excess transit capacity for field trips could definitely result in fewer school district buses need for these extracurricular activities. Either way it’s a super cool initiative. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTowns Great idea. I believe Kingston had a tram years ago, but most mid-sized cities don't have them anymore for some reason! It is really a shame....
The vulnerability of a bus system is that you need a minimum grid, which requires a minimum of transit riders to make it work. Elon Musk claims autonomous cars will be cheaper than taking the bus and it will go door to door. If that happens, it can draw off enough bus riders that the bus system won’t be worth doing despite the fact many people take roughly the same routes at the same time, so they would fill the buses. Bicycling can be done with a low number of cyclists as well as a large number. One of the great things about bicycling!
Yeah, I can't help but think about places like The Netherlands, Copenhagen, and even Boulder, where many, if not most, kids have the mobility freedom to walk, bike, and use a well-designed and convenient transit system. The networks work well together.
Yeah, good luck, Elon: Your vehicles have a great many expensive issues. People also tire of fealty to banks and all other stripes of financiers. Personally, I have given up on autos. The way I see it is that having a vehicle requires good resources--as does not having one. . Given crazy, greedy prices, auto-driving should already be included--where is it? It's nowhere to be found--and, it will take decades We can't rely totally upon vehicles getting that right: It will require pesky gubnint and infrastructure. You may note that Tesla attempted simply "leap-frogging" that issue--relying on the cars. They did get far--but, no cigar....
@@ActiveTowns Always looking forward to your videos. Entertaining and educative. Oh and before I forget let me add that I used the transit in Kingston, when I was there in 2013-14. Frequency wasn't great then, but I loved it regardless. As you mention in the video, it gave me that freedom to move around when as a student you can't afford to have a car.
This is great!
Maybe someday Youth Ride Free will refer to bicycling?
Precisely!
Transit in my city is underfunded and mismanaged. Buses are called loser-cruisers . I'm looked down on for taking buses but don't care about that innuendo anymore. People in Europe don't frown at transit that way.
Yeah, it's unfortunate that this is the narrative in far too many cities globally and is an example of car-brain thinking. As you can tell, I just love it when I see examples like Kingston and Boulder where riding can transform into being pragmatic, empowering, and even cool. Thanks so much for tuning in and sharing your experience. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John
Some do. British prime minister Margaret Thatcher famously called bus riders "failures." It's a disgusting mindset.
Well said. That is entirely disgusting and, unfortunately, not at all surprising.
@@ActiveTownscar brain is beyond the USA? Yikes so we just getting started then
@@qjtvaddict Oh yeah, car brain is everywhere... it's like a very contagious virus. 🤣
My city recently launched “Youth Ride Free” and I can’t wait until the bus reads “YOU Ride Free”!
Love it! 🙌
Thank you for the "south of the border" phrase. I now have that song stuck in my head.
"South of the Border,
Down Albany way,
I fell in love with flashing eyes
in a red Chevrolet."
I love the program to use the public buses as school buses for field trips. Beyond familiarizing students with the idea of riding the city bus, it also saves a fortune on maintenance and hiring extra drivers.
Hehe, you bet. Yeah, such a great program. Cheers! John
It sounds like this is planning to use city transit to replace school buses?
Sorta, kinda, but not really. They striving to teach kids to ride transit so they are independent and mobile, that’s not quite the same as replacing the regular route school bus, although it certainly could. Now the other initiative of using excess transit capacity for field trips could definitely result in fewer school district buses need for these extracurricular activities. Either way it’s a super cool initiative. Cheers! John
One afterthought, with all those buses in Kingston, have they ever considered trams as an alternative?
Yeah, that's a valid question. I'll let Dan chime in on this one.
@@ActiveTowns Great idea. I believe Kingston had a tram years ago, but most mid-sized cities don't have them anymore for some reason! It is really a shame....
@@incheondan2007 Yeah, it sure is.
@@incheondan2007 Take a look at Lund, smaller then Kingston with a new tram. But yes, it did cost some.
The vulnerability of a bus system is that you need a minimum grid, which requires a minimum of transit riders to make it work. Elon Musk claims autonomous cars will be cheaper than taking the bus and it will go door to door. If that happens, it can draw off enough bus riders that the bus system won’t be worth doing despite the fact many people take roughly the same routes at the same time, so they would fill the buses. Bicycling can be done with a low number of cyclists as well as a large number. One of the great things about bicycling!
Yeah, I can't help but think about places like The Netherlands, Copenhagen, and even Boulder, where many, if not most, kids have the mobility freedom to walk, bike, and use a well-designed and convenient transit system. The networks work well together.
Yeah, good luck, Elon: Your vehicles have a great many expensive issues.
People also tire of fealty to banks and all other stripes of financiers.
Personally, I have given up on autos. The way I see it is that having a vehicle requires good resources--as does not having one.
.
Given crazy, greedy prices, auto-driving should already be included--where is it? It's nowhere to be found--and, it will take decades
We can't rely totally upon vehicles getting that right: It will require pesky gubnint and infrastructure.
You may note that Tesla attempted simply "leap-frogging" that issue--relying on the cars.
They did get far--but, no cigar....
I would also add that the US is hell-bent on becoming India: Purchasing Teslas will remain onthe bottom of the totem-pole of citizen needs....
Bicycling seems to go together with bus/subway systems. Take public transit for the long chunk of a trip, start and finish by bike (BTB).
Yeah, Doug: Use bus sys every work week.
Boonie buses are comically limited.
Fantastic.
Indeed! Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John
Glad to hear about Kingston. I did my masters at Queen's and live in Oshawa now, but visit Kingston often.
It's always been a cosy place.
Oh cool! So nice of you to tune in. Thanks so much. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTowns Always looking forward to your videos. Entertaining and educative.
Oh and before I forget let me add that I used the transit in Kingston, when I was there in 2013-14. Frequency wasn't great then, but I loved it regardless. As you mention in the video, it gave me that freedom to move around when as a student you can't afford to have a car.