Submitted by PhiloBlackCardinal t3_zgbh5j in Maine
Yourbubblestink t1_izg9m5x wrote
Reply to comment by rockcitybender in Please Bring the Amtrak To Bangor by PhiloBlackCardinal
The existing bus lines are barely making it. There’s not enough demand for passenger travel by land.
OniExpress t1_izgrnci wrote
The existing bus lines suck because they turn a 3 hour drive into a 12 hour drive.
Yourbubblestink t1_izgva11 wrote
Have you ever taken the train from Portland to Boston? It stops every 50 feet
jusyo t1_izgzoe2 wrote
It's all of 8-9 stops from Portland to Boston.
Yourbubblestink t1_izh1uzw wrote
Correct. 10 mins per stop equals 90 mins of not moving, one way.
omg_choosealready t1_izgzifm wrote
Well yeah. But you can be drinking all the beer while it’s stopping every 50 feet. Still a win in my book. Plus it’s super fun for kids. I have been bringing my daughter on that route for years and we play cards and hang out. Way more fun than me driving while she asks when we’re going to get there!
Disclaimer: I do it without the beer when my daughter is with me 😂😂😂
PhiloBlackCardinal OP t1_izjq8wm wrote
The Concord Coach Line ride isn’t bad from Boston to Bangor. Just two stops in Portland and Augusta.
bluestargreentree t1_izgrwtx wrote
Chicken and egg problem. Existing bus service is paltry, so no one rides it, and service isn’t expanded because no one rides it.
Transit needs to be easier than driving because driving will always be more convenient. Making transit easier means making it run more frequently and making it run faster (dedicated bus lanes or dedicated rail).
Yourbubblestink t1_izgvebu wrote
Dedicated bus lane in central Maine lol. Totally unnecessary. Rail is only faster without stops, the trip by train from Portland yo Boston is no time saver
bluestargreentree t1_izh0zr7 wrote
It’s faster using the concord coach bus. Also cheaper and more frequent
mrtlwolf t1_izm7giq wrote
Train is far more comfortable though, unless I can get to the back row my knees are either in my chest or buried in the seat in front of me on Concord Coach.
bluestargreentree t1_iznh9hy wrote
Yep, 100% agreed. I even drop the extra $10 for business class on Amtrak. Plus, Amtrak goes to north station and the bus doesn’t, so it’s really dependent on where your final destination in Boston is. Airport is a no brainer for the bus.
dedoubt t1_izikt9r wrote
>driving will always be more convenient
If I want to get from home in Unity to visit family in NH and back, I need a 45 minute car ride from someone to a bus that takes 3 1/4 hours with five stops, or a 1 1/2 hours ride to a train that takes almost 2 hours with 4 stops, then with either, another 45 minute car ride from someone- EACH WAY. Between tickets and gas, it costs $35-95.
If I drive myself, it's a bit over a 5 hour round trip that costs about $30 in gas.
I don't expect Maine to ever have good public transportation because we just don't have the population to support it, but damn, it would be nice.
BuddyBear17 t1_iziuhd1 wrote
With climate migration, that population density will come, but it's still a generation away.
dedoubt t1_izjksz4 wrote
Even with the migration, I'll bet most people will settle in southern Maine and that won't bring infrastructure changes further north. It'll probably become one gross giant city from Providence to Portland.
ITookAPooInTheICU t1_izqw23c wrote
The Northeast Megalopolis, pretty much DC to Portland.
mymaineaccount46 t1_izj09vb wrote
Even in areas with good transit it can't compete with driving (in my experience.) I lived in Seattle, and right on a rail like in Pittsburgh and transit would still take longer than just driving to your destination. Normally a good 3x as long.
bluestargreentree t1_izj0qzi wrote
Yeah, this is the fundamental issue. Transit can compete with driving in congested cities, but in those cases we're usually talking about rail. For buses to be competitive with driving, they need dedicated bus lanes and priority at traffic lights.
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