In a seemingly continuing series on the possibilities of public transit the P-I has an interesting article about using public transit to get to far-away places, like Port Townsend to Olympia (!!!). The farthest I’ve ever taken local transit was from San Francisco to Big Sur (seriously, and it was awesome). Any of you gone on a really long bus ride? I know STB reader DJtroksy has taken public transit on some pretty long rides.
11 Replies to “Exurban and Rural Transit Trips”
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Haven’t gone too far rurally speaking on public transit.
However, my friends in San Francisco and I would spend a weekend a year camping on Angel Island (in the center of the Bay) and would reach our campsite (with all our gear and beverages in tow) by the streetcar to the ferry building, ferry to the island, and a 2 mile hike in to the campsite. Not really a rural trip, but hey, who can say they’ve camped with a nightime skyline view of SF all offered through public transit?
I’ve taken the Sea-bus to North Vancouver and a public bus up to ski slopes from there.
mike, I have always wondered if one could do that. I LOVE VANCOUVER BC.
When I was homeless in San Francisco (yes, for real), on payday I would take a break from the shelters for a night by renting a room at Motel 6 in Rohnert Park, 48 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. I would take Golden Gate Transit. The fare was about $5 each way, IIRC. Getting away from the big city was worth it. I felt at “home” in Rohnert Park; it was almost like being in the Midwest again for one day a month. The Motel 6 actually cost *less* than some of the inner-city crack hotels a lot of the other homeless people liked going to on payday. Because I wasn’t into drugs but just a little vodka, peace and quiet, pizza, and TV, I got a better deal (my opinion, not theirs….)
I’ve gone down to olympia a few times. I take the 590 or the reverse commute sounder to tacoma, then the 603 to olympia. i’m 14, so it just costs me $3-4 each way.
my friend and i also took the seabus to the bus to grouse mountain and the capilano suspension bridge in vancouver
And it appears that you can get all the way to portland on mass transit:
Sound Transit 590 to Tacoma
Intercity Transit 603 to Olympia
Grays Harbor Transit 40 to Aberdeen
Pacific Transit 14 to Raymond
Pacific Transit 32 to South Bend
Pacific Transit 50 to Astoria
Sunset Emp. Transit 101 Express to Seaside
Sunset Emp. Transit 20 to Cannon Beach
Tillamook Transit 3 to Tillamook
and finally: Tillamook Transit 5 to Portland
Wow. That’s 6 transit providers (plus maybe Metro in Seattle and TriMet in Portland) and 10 buses
I’d like to try it some day though…
Yeah I’m working on it. I haven’t added much lately, but I’m done with finals today!! You can view the page here.
Thanks Jonlin for the info on Pacific Transit and Sunset Empire. I’m adding those to my to-do list. I also found the link to the Columbia River Rider which connects Astoria to Longview. Awesome!
nice site djstroky. i’ve been trying to find whats the farthest i can go from seattle on mass transit. i’m thinking you can get quite a bit to the north and east in vancouver…
I’m thinking of taking the Dollar Bus next month. It runs between Tumwater and Salmon Creek.
I think the longest I’ve ever done was taking the bus around Whidbey Island. It involved the 532, the 412, the 411C, the 411W, the 1, a ferry, the 113, and the 535.
I’ve also gone up to Darrington by taking the 120, 201/202, and 230; and to both Gold Bar and Lake Stevens on the same trip. Nothing else particularly long comes to mind.
I think your warning re: traffic at the crossing is laudable djstroky but the actual top speeds through the crossing are approximately 10 mph (at most) with copious gates – so perhaps no more dangerous than walking across a parking lot after a concert or sporting event.
A larger practical issue is that I don’t think either set of border guards would know quite what to do with pedestrians.