I start a new job Monday (whoohoo! after 18 months unemployment) and my transportation costs are going to be… $0!!! One of the bennies of working for the U is a free city bus pass. I have less than a block to walk to the bus stop, less than a block to walk at the other end of the ride, and according to the schedule, an 8 minute ride. On the way home, I have an extra block to walk because the two main campus streets are one way in opposite directions. I’m kind of looking forward to it as a social experience.
I haven’t commuted by bus since I lived in DC nearly 20 years ago. I still remember the 42 bus which went through Adams Morgan to… everywhere, and the S buses that came down 16th Street headed down to the Mall.
I could pay for a parking spot on campus, for $600 a year minimum, and still be so far away I’d have a 20 minute hike from the lot. I’m not senior enough to rate a space closer in, which are significantly pricier anyway.
So, this is just about perfect – except for winter. OTOH, even in winter I’d still have more exposure driving from the lot and having to get to the office from there. Maybe I can look into a ride share of some kind during the winter months… I suppose it will boil down to how well the buses keep to their posted schedule and will I have to stand around waiting on the corner for long stretches.
You’re gonna save quite a tidy little sum there, plus you can tell your car insurance company that you don’t use your car to go to work. And now I’ll bet that you can find entertainment near bus stops, too. You can use your pass at any time, not just commuting, right?
I think you might want to get some good overshoes before winter really hits, though. And a good hat and gloves. Keep your extremities warm.
That’s awesome - every part of it. Congratulations on the job!
One thing I hate about living in a small town is the complete lack of public transportation. I grew up in Worcester and in the 80’s and 90’s the city bus system was wonderful (I have no idea what it’s like now). I took buses everywhere and I enjoyed it because it was a great time to read or do last minute homework. I’d love to have access to that again.
Most of the entertainment venues in the area are also student hangouts, and I’m getting too old for that scene. I’ll haveto learn where the faculty and staff hang.
Thanks for the reminder about calling my insurance. There are a couple of other issues I should update as well, come to think of it.
I have really good gloves already, but I definitely need a better hat. What I have now is more like an oversized sweat band, meant to protect my ears.
Congratulations on the new job! How wonderful that you have free public transport. I grew up in an urban center with easy access to bus lines and never even bothered to learn to drive until I was in my mid-20s. I always liked getting a window seat and watching all the activity outside the bus on my rides to and fro. If I still lived in the city, I doubt I’d even own a car. Even in the winter it wasn’t too bad waiting for the bus unless it got down to -10 or colder. You’ll definitely need a better hat, though.
Where I live now I almost have to drive to get the mail, and the closest I come to public transportation is when one of the regional casino buses gets lost and ends up on our gravel road.
Schweet!! I’m jealous! I couldn’t take mass transit to my workplace - it would require a shortish bus ride to the Metro, changing trains on the Metro to go back out to a different suburb, then a long bus ride to that other suburb. 2 hours, easily. Each way.
You’ll save $$, plus get a little more exercise. Great deal all around!!
just transfer up to the capitol square…all us oldsters and gov’t workers etc are at the Argus, Brocach, the Old Fashioned etc…and practically every bus through downtown hits the square at some point.
If you’re heading past/towards the Vilas area or near the zoo/st mary’s area, you should stop by the Mason lounge at Park and W Wash…great ale pub with a super chill vibe. I play a weekly jazz gig there on Tuesdays, and can vouch for the potency, I mean…quality of the brews…
Today I did the first round trip commute. Yesterday I bused in, but my sister picked me up from work and treated me to dinner to celebrate the new job.
I live on the near west side, east of Midvale and south of University.
I used to work at Meriter. If I was heading down toward Vilas I was far more likely to stop at Lanes for donuts rather than anyplace for beer.
Maybe that’s why I’m in such crappy shape. For 18 months I was unemployed, and I hardly left home because I found myself spending money whenever I was out. Now I’m finding that walking a couple of blocks is making me feel spent. It’s hot and steamy, sure, but it’s ridiculous how little endurance I have. The good news is that from yesterday to today, I’m already a little stronger. The first day I had to walk to Union South to get my ID card, and today I had to walk to Park & Regent to get my free bus pass at the Welcome Center, and I’m about equidistant from them. But today I wasn’t so shaky.
Christ, I’m like an old man. The next time I lose my job might kill me, So my new retirement plan is to work until I drop dead on the job.
Good luck with the new job.
As for the walk, I began walking for my health about a year ago. In the beginning I could walk for about 5 minutes before I had to sit down. Today I walked 62 minutes, fairly fast, and could have gone on if I had the time. I have lost 30 lbs. and feel wonderful. It only took me about a month to start feeling better at the end of my 15 minute walk instead of worse, so there’s that. I think you will enjoy the walking.
I lived in Madison for two years and found myself missing it for a minute. Until I remembered winter.
I’ve commuted on the bus for more than 20 years and love 1) being able to people watch, read, chat, etc. and 2) not having to worry about traffic or where to park. Once you get the timing down for when you need to leave to catch the bus, it’s wonderful.
Also, once you figure out where bus stops are, you can walk a bit farther to the next stop to get on or get of a stop early to get into better shape.
Yeah, there’s clearly a hump to get over, but ultimately it will be healthy for me. I typica;;y don’t eat any lunch during a work day, but once ht heat breaks a bit I’m gonna use my lunch time to stroll and regains some strength. Mostly I have to make sure I’m well enough hydrated.
I really miss Citybus from when I was in college. They went everywhere on campus, and they ran all the freaking time. They even had one that went from the dorms to Walmart! The only bad part was, when I was a junior, the bus my apartment complex specially contracted to transport students to campus ran only once an hour, and was packed to the BRIM during “rush hour” (7-10am and 4-6pm). Barely enough standing room, to the point where the driver was begging people to get off the bus and drive if they had cars.
I think they implemented a second bus for rush hour the next year, but I wasn’t living there anymore by then.
Congo-rats on the new job, and enjoy the bus! They’re the cleanest busses I’ve ever ridden on, and hardly any homeless people. Just students.
If the wait for the bus is long consider wearing a pair of long johns when it drops under 20F. When I lived in St. Louis I often found it was more important how well a coat broke the wind than how well insulated.
It’s not a discount really. But the rate goes down because the use of the car goes down – dramatically – and therefor reduces the risk. More miles are put on a car used for commuting to work than any other use, by far.
It looks like the Madison has a Bus Tracker app. If it’s at all accurate (and now is the time to test it out), this should help a lot in the winter time. I’ve gotten real good at timing the exit from our place so as to spend a minimum amount of time at the bus stop in the winter.
I got in my car yesterday to go to breakfast. I got in my car last Sunday to go to breakfast. That is all – I didn’t so much as open its door for the entire work week.
I’m going to bring a few personal items that would be hard to carry on a bus into my office today, and catch up on some grocery shopping. I haven’t figured out how much I’m saving yet but it’s got to be a bundle!