CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

On the Buses

(7 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from DaveC

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  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Took the Maisie 5 to work today, having gone out for a drink straight from work on Friday and so left the bike here over the weekend (and too lazy to come and fetch it).

    Have to admit, when the traffic is as light as it is during the school holidays, and it's too early for the buses to be swamped by tourists without the right change, they really are a great way to get about the city. Not perfect mind, given I have to get off at the east end of Princes Street and walk the rest of the way (not much point in getting a bus along Princes Street - and on a nice morning it's a pleasant walk through the gardens).

    Still missed being on the bike mind you...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. wingpig
    Member

    ...and today was probably your last chance for a month to go all the way up the Royal Mile unimpeded, too.

    What was your overall door-to-door time, compared to just walking the whole way? I couldn't find my proper Spokes map yesterday so fished out the papery BikeStation freebie I got a Bike Week ago and noticed again the comparative-commute-time route-example thing on the back and wondered again what parameters other people have in their personal logistics algorithms which compel them to prefer car to bus where it might involve some walking-to-stop and waiting-at-stop and walking-from-stop and so on (rather than the interchange-free car). I've never tried using buses on my current commute but strongly suspect that without some elegant timing (and unusually accurate MyBusTracker readings) and clear roads it wouldn't be massively faster than walking the whole way.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Walking the whole way is a little over an hour (I've done it a few times) - though I've usually got the camera so I'm taking time to look out for stuff.

    Door-to-door with the bus + walk is about 45 minutes (with the quieter roads - add about ten minutes on during term time in the winter especially). There's no time at all wasted waiting at a stop cos I use the bustracker app and know when I can leave the house to get to the stop 30 seconds before the bus arrives.

    Cycling is 20 minutes. Less than 15 going home. No contest really.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Dave
    Member

    From the old office in Leith, it took 45-50min to get home using the bus - a distance I used to run in (when training for the 2010 Glasgow 10k) in a little over half an hour!

    So yeah, the bus is not a fast way to get around AT ALL. Good job they can go at the full 30mph between stops though, otherwise they would become uncompetitive with a 20 minute drive ;-)

    Not that there aren't good other reasons to take the bus, but speed isn't one of them...

    From Ocean Terminal it's not even possible to get the bus without a change, which means either an expensive day ticket or even more expensive bus pass (considering I'd choose to take the bus a few times a month left to my own devices).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. DaveC
    Member

    It may have been quiet as its an Edinburgh holiday today. I only found out through accident on Friday. Most annoying as I might have been knocking on my office door with no answer this morning.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I didn't realise it was a holiday, we were discussing in locker room why it might me so quiet on roads this AM. We blamed English school holidays.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. DaveC
    Member

    PLus its School holidays.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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