C’mon, ride with me – I’m actually a Viking ship in disguise! Photos by Randy Stern
Do these Five Favorites blog posts have to be about the automobile?
Not necessarily. There has been continued talk about creating green spaces and utilizing public transit. Amid these discussions, we often forget about which alternatives are available to us right now. Could someone wait five-to-ten years before a new rail line comes through town before utilizing the current transit infrastructure available to us? What compromises do you have to make in order to try it out? What considerations should be made before using an alternative transportation service?
It’s all a reminder on how far we’ve come in alternative transportation options. For example, buses are cleaner emitting thanks to using different sources of fuel and better emissions through hybrid diesel-electric drivetrain componentry. There are now car and bicycle sharing programs across North America to augment the current public transport network. Let’s not forget the increase in rail transport options ranging from short-line trolleys to new regional commuter rail services.
So, which green modes of transportation are worth utilizing? To answer this question, I formed the following question: What are my Five Favorite alternatives to the automobile?
This would mean identifying specific modes or transport at particular locations. Not entirely simple, but you’ll see why these Five Favorite Alternative Modes of Transportation are listed as such.
METRO TRANSIT HIAWATHA LIGHT RAIL LINE – MINNEAPOLIS, MN: Six years ago, the Twin Cities received their first in-town light rail line since tearing up the old Twin Cities Lines tracks in the 1950s and 1960s. It surprised the doubters when it became the focal point for Metrodome events, such as the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. The line links downtown Minneapolis with the airport and the Mall of America in Bloomington. A recent extension brought the line to the door of the Twins’ new ballpark with a connection to a new regional commuter line serving the northwest suburbs. Still, the Hiawatha line provides a vital link for travelers, commuters, local sports fans and everyone serviceable by the line. In all, it’s a huge win for Twin Cities’ transportation. Heck, it’s a key part of my own transportation network.
BART – OAKLAND, CA: Growing up in Los Angeles, I only had the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD). That meant buses crisscrossing the San Fernando Valley with a few outlets to other parts of Southern California. Whenever I visited the Bay Area (prior to my moving up there in 1987), I would take this futuristic view of regional transportation. I was fascinated with how BART operated from the ticketing to the trains to the amazing views the line provides to passengers. The BART network originally connected San Francisco with the East Bay, terminating either in Richmond, Concord or Fremont. After living there for nine years, a BART trip became more of a routine than a fascination. One such routine was the “last train” escape. If I was partying in the South of Market area of San Francisco and wasn’t going to get a date for the evening, I would have to scamper to the nearest BART station for the last train back to where I lived, Concord. Since I left the area, the system expanded to the San Francisco Airport and out to the Pleasanton-Dublin area. Good for BART to ensure that it had room to grow.
METRORAIL – WASHINGTON, DC: Another fact of life about living in a metropolitan area served by quick links within the region, you are bound by the service as long as you know your way home. My four years in the DC Area was made easier by Metro’s rail services. Whether I was commuting to/from work or to Dupont Circle for friends and frolic, Metro gave me a smooth ride across the Potomac River and beyond. It also helped to have an easy link to Reagan National Airport for flights or rental cars, along with Union Station for Amtrak and regional rail services. The one thing I was thankful for was the fact that Metro introduced later service on the weekends for when I was partying in the District. When I returned to DC last year, I already knew how to get around easily. In fact, Metro provided a very reliable backbone for the entire weekend in the District, Northern Virginia and a small bit of Maryland.
METRO ORANGE LINE BUS RAPID TRANSIT – LOS ANGELES, CA: One spring day in 1975, Mom received a flyer in the mail about SCRTD’s improved service throughout the San Fernando Valley. When she presented it to my brother and I, it was her way of saying “OK, kids, you’re on your own.” The GRID system established a commitment to serving a population over a million people over the Santa Monica Mountains from downtown Los Angeles. After I left the Valley, a lot has changed public transit-wise. I envisioned a Valley with faster bus and rail service, but not to the extent Metro (SCRTD’s successor) executed it. From bringing the Red Line subway to North Hollywood and a series of fast-tracked Rapid buses, its biggest project came from converting the old Southern Pacific freight line into a combination bus rapid transit, bicycle and pedestrian pathway. Add a fleet of futuristic silver NABI articulated buses and a ticketing system similar to its rail services and you have the greatest leap forward for transit in the Valley. The line connects the North Hollywood subway station with Warner Center – with expansion plans to the Chatsworth Metrolink commuter rail station. The result is a very nice ride across the Valley – and to question why no one thought of doing this when I was still living in Reseda…
GOLDEN GATE TRANSIT LINE 80 – SAN RAFAEL, CA: Sometimes public transit doesn’t have to be utilitarian. It can be functional, but comfortable as well. It can also be scenic for both commuters and tourists alike. Even in-town tourists! The Golden Gate Bridge and Transportation District operates a series of bus services linking Sonoma and Marin Counties with San Francisco and the East Bay. It has done so since the early 1970s when Greyhound stopped providing the same service to these North Bay communities. Living in San Rafael gave me an opportunity to use this service to/from home by taking it to each end of the line. The line starts in Santa Rosa and goes along US Highway 101 making plenty of stops along the way in practically almost every town between the Golden Gate Bridge and Santa Rosa. Eventually, it will arrive in San Francisco. But, who cares? You’re in a high-back, reclining seat riding through some of the nicest topography in the Bay Area. Back when I was living there, the GMC/TMC/NovaBus RTS fleet had a nice uninterrupted view from its huge tinted windows. That made the ride even nicer! The good news is that the Bridge District still operates this line as part of the backbone of their services north of the Golden Gate. It still operates locally from Santa Rosa to San Francisco. It’s still a lovely diversion away from The City.
