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Along For The Ride

Suncoast News reporter Kurt Lowry waits for a PCPT bus to arrive at a stop in West Pasco.

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: June 7, 2008

PORT RICHEY - During an interview with Pasco County Public Transportation Community Services Director Adelaida "Adie" Reyes and Transportation Manager Mike Carroll about the growing use of PCPT buses, I asked what sort of marketing tools they use to promote their service.

"I'd say our best promoters are the people who are using our service," Reyes said. "If we are reliable, they will come back."

Like many of you, as a car owner, all I know about local bus service is to try not to be behind one when it makes a stop. My guess is many of you have never taken the bus, either. You've never needed it. Besides, there is a certain class prejudice about it, an assumption that the only people who ride the bus are the ones with no alternatives.

But with the price of gas and everything else going up and salaries going nowhere, a lot of us are closer to that "have to" point than we were not long ago. So I decided to leave the car home for a day and see for myself just how viable an option taking the bus is from the standpoint of efficiency, economy and comfort.

I figured my commute would be a pretty stiff test, since I live in Clearwater, a good 20 miles from the office. This meant I would have to use two systems, PCPT and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. Carroll informed me the lines meet up in Tarpon Springs, which meant I had practically door-to-door service from my home to work. That's a plus. However, it also meant I'd have to pay two separate fares.

That's a minus. Two fares each way meant my commute cost me $5 for the day, which is probably only a dollar or two less than the cost of the gas I would burn with my Mustang at today's prices. If I was a regular rider, a monthly pass would save me more per day.

Before I even left home, I saw one drawback to taking the bus. Some days I have to bring so much stuff with me you'd think I was setting off to climb the Matterhorn.

Carroll mentioned one advantage of riding the bus: It frees up your commute time to work, recreate or relax. That's true. I spent much of the time writing notes. I also spent some of the time looking out the window at all those places I usually only catch quick glances of. I noticed that many veteran riders use the time to catch up on their sleep.

Carroll conceded it takes longer to get where you need to go by bus, and on my test run that proved to be the biggest negative. By car, it takes 40 to 45 minutes to drive to and from work during rush hour. By bus, it took about two hours each way. What really ate up the time was waiting at bus stops and driver breaks. On the trip home I waited more than 20 minutes for a bus then the driver stopped for a break at the very next stop. The result was it took 45 minutes to get a half-mile from where I started.

For a lifelong driver, maybe the hardest aspect of riding the bus is not being in control. You can't adjust the air conditioning, for instance. More importantly, you can't alter your course. This could be good or bad, I decided. Not being able to succumb to the siren call of convenience stores and drive-throughs could do me a world of good in my perpetual quests to save money and lose weight. On the flip side, there are those genuinely necessary side trips. I wouldn't be able to make those, either, at least not without planning it out ahead.

Some of you might be surprised how clean and comfortable both PCPT and PSTA buses are. There was a moment when I leaned on a handrail that I wondered what germs I might be in contact with. But the truth is I didn't see or smell anything anywhere that would lead me to believe I was unduly exposing myself to any loathsome diseases or substances.

In the end, I came away with a mixed impression from my experiment. I wouldn't want to have to depend entirely on the bus to get me around, for the reasons I've already mentioned. But on the three criteria I started with: efficiency, economy and comfort, I can see how with a little practice and familiarity with the routes and schedules, the bus is a workable option, one that is much more acceptable than anyone who hasn't tried it might realize.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.

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