What would it ACTUALLY take for you to consider biking or taking the bus, in lieu of motoring?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone has summed up the very reasonable objections. No way any of these can be fixed

Then expect to spend a lot more time in your car in the future.

[Anonymous]

I have terrible depth perception and can not bike safely to work ebike or no. I have taken the bus/walked for over 25 years and have a big problem w/ the way biking has evolved - trying to cross cross walks i have almost been hit twice in the past 2 days with bikes whizzing past stopped cars. After seeing too many people hit by cars in cross walks I don't walk into the cross walk unless i make eye contact w/ the cars but can't do the same w/ bikers.

Buses in DC are clean and much more user friendly than the metro - but we could use more reliability and have them run more frequently - in the am they are generally pretty good but standing around for 45 minutes to wait for the bus home is ridiculous. Many times I've given up and ordered a ride share when the bus hasn't come which is expensive and no better than driving your own car

[Anonymous]

I would bicycle if the year round temp remained a cool and pleasant 50-60 degrees. I can’t bike in the summer and be sweaty all the time

[Anonymous]

All of the suggestions in the OP would help. Honestly, the issue is that I no longer live close enough to bike (could only afford to do so in an apartment with no dishwasher or washer/dryer...now have 2 kids, need basic appliances). I would love, love, love to take public transportation but it's not functional for getting to my workplace, which was clearly designed for car commuters. My office is 3.5 miles from Union Station through downtown, which is a long bike ride (at least 30 minutes due to traffic lights) to add on to a 1.5 hour train ride, and the bus and metro couldn't get me closer than 1.5 miles. It has free staff parking though. We just need a lot more bus coverage and frequency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone has summed up the very reasonable objections. No way any of these can be fixed

Then expect to spend a lot more time in your car in the future.

That's fine with me. I drive a capacious, comfortable automobile with a great sound system and all kinds of bells and whistles. I actually enjoy my commuting time.

[Anonymous]

That's fine with me. I drive a capacious, comfortable automobile with a great sound system and all kinds of bells and whistles. I actually enjoy my commuting time.

Well bully for you. I'm certain you maneuver around carefully and keep everyone else on the road safe... right? Right??

https://kmph.com/news/local/dangerous-blind-spots-in-trucks-and-suvs-cause-hundreds-of-child-deaths

[Anonymous]

I’m pushing 50 and terribly clumsy so I’m never ever going to ride a bike in the city.

[Anonymous]

I would take the bus more if there was frequent, consistent, clean, safe bus service with routes that could take me where I need to go. I would ride my bike more if there were bike paths/lanes that were completely separated from car traffic (not just with pseudo barriers) and they lacked walkers ambling along looking at their phone while their dogs on 20 foot retractable leashes zig-zagged back and forth across the path. I would mostly walk everywhere if I could live somewhere where my kids' schools, gymnastics lessons, sports practices and games, religious school, friends' birthday parties, etc...were within walking distance instead of spread out 20+ miles in all directions across the DMV. That's not the case though so if I'm choosing between driving a car so my family can take advantage of everything the DMV has to offer to live a very full and active life and only doing what's available to us on bike/bus/metro routes because cars = evil, the car will win out every time. I'm support the idea of better transportation options, including infrastructure for safe cycling, but I'm tired of the assumption that cars are unnecessary just because some people don't need them.

[Anonymous]

Nothing. I will always drive. Public transportation is far from convenient and the weather is not good enough to consider biking anywhere.

[Anonymous]

I’ll take public transportation once my kids no longer need rides. I’m never going to bike commute. DH does and he’s almost been hit countless times. Too scary for me, and I’m not a strong biker.

[Anonymous]

I sweat profusely. Been that way all my life. I sweat at the drop of a hat even a teen and 20-something multi-sport athlete. Cultural norms and acceptance around sweat and resulting odor would have to change.

Also, speed limits on bike routes would have to be imposed and low enough to accommodate walkers and children.

[Anonymous]

free, clean, safe, convenient. It's pretty simple!

[Anonymous]

I don’t mind the bus or metro. I live right on top of it so I take it when I can. I prefer it.

But I still have a younger kid and it would take me 1.5-2hrs to commute each morning/evening on public transit and it takes about 25 minutes in a car.

Will never ever bike even when they put in the cursed protected bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Biking: better weather, safer roads, better physical shape, stores closer to home
Bus: more lines, less stops, more frequent buses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sweat profusely. Been that way all my life. I sweat at the drop of a hat even a teen and 20-something multi-sport athlete. Cultural norms and acceptance around sweat and resulting odor would have to change.

Also, speed limits on bike routes would have to be imposed and low enough to accommodate walkers and children.

Why do walkers and children need to be on bike routes?