One reason why buses are less popular than trains is buses' lack of "legibility": the ability of an occasional passenger to figure out how to get somewhere by bus. While subway or light rail passengers can look at a system map (which is usually present on a station wall) and figure out that a train to destination X shall arrive at their station reasonably soon, bus passengers typically have to invest time in getting schedules, and then pray that the schedule has not changed.
Bus Riders
Faring Well
Wealthier transit riders demand more expensive rail services and commute at peak hours; the poor commute using all modes, at all hours. Eric A. Morris argues that the MTA's new policy of off-peak pricing would help even out the inequity.
NYTimes: Freakonomics Blog

Legibility vs. efficiency
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 09:59
Hundreds of S.F. Transit Stops To Be Eliminated
Municipal Railway officials in San Francisco recently unveiled a proposal to remove a certain amount of bus and street car stops.
San Francisco Chronicle
Rapid Buses To Serve Suburbs?
A local leader in the suburban Maryland/Washington DC area proposes aggressive use of "rapid buses" in dedicated lanes to accommodate growth, like other jurisdictions in the U.S.
Washington Post
Salt Lake Transit Authority Accused of Misusing Funds
In Salt Lake City, advocates for bus riders have asked the state attorney general to investigate whether the Utah Transit Authority has skewed its ridership figures to gain public support for major investments, which they say is a misuse of funding.
The Salt Lake Tribune






















