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Actually it's convenience, not really independence.
Buses and trains do NOT go exactly where you need them to, they involve walking distances.
You would NOT, for example:
1) Take a bus or train to go grocery shopping or any other kind of shopping where you had to bring home lots of bags or boxes
2) Take a bus or a train to make deliveries
3) Take a bus or train with small kids and strollers
4) Take a bus or train in emergencies.
5) Take a bus or train from home to work and back between large Metro areas due to the amount of stops/transfers.
For example, I theoretically COULD take the bus from home to work every day, but the trip would involve 4 bus companies, 7 transfers each day, and cost me approximately $350 a month in fares. It would take approximately 2.5 hours each way, meaning I'd be on the bus for 5 hours a day. Contrast THAT with my own personal vehicle, I get to work in 45 min to an hour, and spend about $170 a month in gas. Plus I can go door-to-door instead of waiting outside at bus stops.
Having your own transportation is almost required if you have to make sales calls, deliveries, have kids, work nonstandard hours, work outside, or live off the bus/train line.
Public transport is used only in dense urban areas for transport when a personal vehicle is not feasible, and for work when the hours are the same every day. I think that works for only about 20% of the population.
Remember that weather is a factor as well, I don't have stats, but I'd be willing to bet that public transportation is used far more in milder climates like LA than in say, Minneapolis. Ever waited for a bus in -10 degree temps with kids in tow? It's not fun at all, and I will NOT be doing that again...
Public transport DOES work for events, like sports games, tourist destinations, and the like. It has its benefits, but it will never ever ever be as important as the personal vehicle.
Buses and trains do NOT go exactly where you need them to, they involve walking distances.
You would NOT, for example:
1) Take a bus or train to go grocery shopping or any other kind of shopping where you had to bring home lots of bags or boxes
2) Take a bus or a train to make deliveries
3) Take a bus or train with small kids and strollers
4) Take a bus or train in emergencies.
5) Take a bus or train from home to work and back between large Metro areas due to the amount of stops/transfers.
For example, I theoretically COULD take the bus from home to work every day, but the trip would involve 4 bus companies, 7 transfers each day, and cost me approximately $350 a month in fares. It would take approximately 2.5 hours each way, meaning I'd be on the bus for 5 hours a day. Contrast THAT with my own personal vehicle, I get to work in 45 min to an hour, and spend about $170 a month in gas. Plus I can go door-to-door instead of waiting outside at bus stops.
Having your own transportation is almost required if you have to make sales calls, deliveries, have kids, work nonstandard hours, work outside, or live off the bus/train line.
Public transport is used only in dense urban areas for transport when a personal vehicle is not feasible, and for work when the hours are the same every day. I think that works for only about 20% of the population.
Remember that weather is a factor as well, I don't have stats, but I'd be willing to bet that public transportation is used far more in milder climates like LA than in say, Minneapolis. Ever waited for a bus in -10 degree temps with kids in tow? It's not fun at all, and I will NOT be doing that again...
Public transport DOES work for events, like sports games, tourist destinations, and the like. It has its benefits, but it will never ever ever be as important as the personal vehicle.