The Best Bus Route in America

18 Replies to “The Best Bus Route in America”

1. [Comment deleted]

2. The 37/53 routes in circumnavigate the West Seattle neighborhood along Harbpr Ave and Beach Drive with city and mountain views, and then travel through some nice neighborhoods w/ peekaboo views to the west uphill to “The Junction” the major Urban Village in West Seattle. When I was growing up in WS in the 1950s and 1960s, the 37 interlined with the 33 to Magnolia – two delightful neighborhoods on one bus line. Today, sadly the 37/53 are now pretty much weekday rush hour services only w/ a smattering of runs on Saturday.

   1. I wish I had known about the contest last week. The sunrise views from the 37 along Harbor Avenue were spectacular!

3. Right Sam,

   It’ll prolly be some feel-good route like the 7 train in NYC.

4. Not really related to the post – but here is a quick CNN report on the 117 billion dollar NY to DC HSR corridor.
   CNN Report on HSR

5. I nominate the 36. It’s a frequent, intuitive (except the jog at Pac Med), and reasonably efficient route, scenic in spots, a trolley, and life line for Beacon Hill. Plus bonus points for extending the overhead wires down to Othello Station. I may be the only Seattleite without a camera phone but maybe someone can work some magic on the Rizal Bridge?

   The irony in this contest is that any route that is “best” will also at times become a victim of its own success with overcrowding, etc., and generate plenty of complaints.

6. If i had to pick a route from our area, I’d nominate Swift. Of course, much of what makes a bus route “good” depends on things that can’t be photographed: stop spacing, frequency, etc. Swift uses low-floor buses, off-board payment, wide stop spacing, short headways, TSP, and an efficient non-freeway routing.

7. Using a cell phone severely limits my creativity: Cell phone VS SLR.

   1. That’s a very creative juxtaposition := You’re effort with the cell phone is better than what I could do with an SLR.

8. I think the 2 should be nominated. Park-like atmosphere at the cemetery on the north end and a beautiful shoreline park on the other end.

   1. and never a dull moment between :) I heart the 2.

9. For boldness of concept and beauty alike, ST Route 550 takes high marks right now. Ride starts with a mile of light rail subway, including five stations that have got to be great for the bus world, even if you don’t like 1980’s art. International District doesn’t even look ’80’s.

   Then there’s the vista of the whole skyline between the Tunnel and I-90, and the view of Rainier and a hundred eighty degrees more mountains from right on top of Lake Washington. Yeah, it ends in Bellevue, but be honest: if you don’t pay any attention to Kemper Freeman, there are worse views. Would rather look at the Bellevue Library than the main downtown one in Seattle.

   However, my own pick for Number One would be the Prentice Street Route 7- with the condition that it gets some new articulated trolleybuses and some signal priority. There are some fine views, Rainier framed above the Valley from Jackson Street, and Lake Washington and surroundings from the ride down to Rainier from Prentice.

   Besides, there’s more to a route than geology. All the years I drove the 7, I liked both the scenery I saw through the windshield and the neighborhoods I drove through, which have gotten a lot more interesting over the years,

   Mark Dublin

   1. I don’t post here (except right now, I suppose), but I have to chime in and agree with Mr. Dublin. Having also driven the 7 for a very long time, I can’t think of a route I enjoy doing more. It gets points for serving the most ethnically diverse zip code in the US, excellent headways at all hours, being a trolley, connecting downtown, Chinatown, Vietnamtown and all the neighborhoods in the Valley.

      What I love most about it is the clientele and going through the neighborhoods. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s an acquired taste, with the occasional (really) bad day, but the more I do it the more I like it. Could definitely use a return to the old schedules though.

      Best,

10. I know you guys will think I am crazy, but I gotta go with the 30. It takes me to so many fun places with my girls. And most of the drivers will slow down so they can get a glimpse of the troll on the way.

11. Some of those County transit bus routes over on the O.P. sure are fun.

    I love that one can get from Winslow to Forks, etc., entirely on transit bus.

    KC Metro route planning is kind of a Killjoy on this contest in that so many routes have been broken up (43 into 43/44 and 7 into 7/49) or are one route that gets through-run into another (usually as a constant pair) after passing through the RFA in downtown.

    Like how the Ballard buses turn into West Seattle buses, etc.

    Outside of Western Washington, here are some interesting ones:

    OCTA Route 1 from Long Beach to San Clemente (42 miles of Local service!):
    http://www.octa.net/pdf/pdf/oct2010/route001.pdf

    The UTA buses that serve the Ski Areas in the winter time; Used to be from downtown Salt Lake but now it connects the resorts to the nearest TRAX Light Rail station.
    http://www.rideuta.com/spaces.aspx

    (Fun to think that if one lived in SLC, one could take transit to a world-class ski experience. But then one would have to live in SLC, so…never mind!)

    Honolulu’s TheBus route 52(and 88A) which run all the way around Oahu:
    http://www.thebus.org/Route/HTMLversion/R52_sum.htm

    I’m also going to include New Orleans area Jefferson Transit Route E2 that goes from the city to the airport:
    http://www.jeffersontransit.org/schedules/E2Airport-Map.htm
    But then, traveling anywhere in Louisiana is pretty interesting.

    1. If we’re talking about New Orleans, I’d have to say the St Charles Ave streetcar wins, at least for a picturesque, interesting, and unique riding experience.

       The route from downtown to the airport goes along 61 which is basically strip malls, car dealerships, and some lingering Katrina debris, so I don’t know if I would necessarily include that in my best-of list.

       1. D’oh but it’s not a bus so I lose.

12. The big sur route is without a doubt the most spectacular bus route in the us

    Of course, that’s just my opinion.

Comments are closed.