"Somwhat" because I still have a car.

 

Washington Township= south suburb of Dayton, Ohio.

 

This thread will be me blogging on trying to get by without a car (or frequent use of a car) in a classic suburban strip environment.

 

I live off SR 725, a major commercial strip between the Dayton Mall and Centerville (intersection of 725 & Lyons, another busy local highway).  I have a car, but it's in the shop for an expensive repair, and I will have to pay off the repair bill by not using so much gas.  And I don't have the money for a rental.  So I am going to try to take the bus as much as possible.  This will seriosly start tomorrow.

 

But it already has started in a limited way.

 

There is bus line in front of my complex, route 23, but it doesnt run early enough for me to get to work.  So I have to walk to the "south" bus hub (just south of the Dayton Mall) to catch an early enough bus to get me downtown to transfer to the bus to work.  This is 1.67 miles per the google maps pedometer.  Fortunaly I have been doing  alot of walking already, about 3 miles/day, typically, so am in good enough shape to make this walk. 

 

So I did some test walks this weekend.  It will take me about 30 minutes to walk that 1.67 miles.  Then I catch the bus downtown and transfer to the work bus.  In the evening I will do it in reverse, but either catch the 23 bus at the hub or walk back.  I am not too keen on that idea since part of the walk is on a shoulder, albeit a wide one.  Not a problem early in the morning (say 5:30  to 6:00 AM), but feggataboutit, during evening traffic time.  Yet a LONG wait for the 23 bus to take me home; I could walk it just as fast.

 

Then there is food.  I usually drive to get my groceries and get them in more than one place.  The place I usually use a lot, Springboro Dorothy Lane Market, will be off limits as it has no bus service.  But Cub is about 2 miles, just a bit beyond the bus hub.  And, believe it or not, it has bus service!

 

So this weekend...on Sunday... I experimented with shopping at Cub and taking the bus.  Seems to work.  I did the walking part early enough to avoid traffic, and the shuttle bus from Cub (which is a circulator for the Dayton Mall area) to the hub was on-time.  So I didnt have to lug groceries very far. 

 

This will limit me to groceries that I can just carry in one of those market bags I got.  You bag your own at Cub anyway, so no problem there. But you can't shop for a lot, or for heavy things, becuase it's too much to lug. 

 

The wait for bus 23 wasn't bad, less than it will be for me coming home from work. 

 

However, Cub doesn't have everything that DLM has.  Or everything that I buy.  Oddly enough the super-special stuff that DLM doesnt even have will be easier for me to get, but will require more walking.  I can take the bus downtown on Saturday, walk to Charlies on Troy Street in "Old" North Dayton to get my Polish rye bread, liverwurst and other sausages, "Saft", and stuff, then walk back to downtown (or take the Troy Street bus...but too infrequent..), maybe stopping at the 2nd Street Market for additional stuff if I need it.  A lot of hassle for three or so items, but Id only be doing this every two weeks, since a loaf of rye lasts me two weeks.

 

Ordinarily this would be a quick trip downtown, or to DLM for the liverwurst since they carry my brand, but without a car you have to plan this out, and timing becomes everything.

 

 

Consider a folding bike you can take on the bus or stuff in a friend's trunk. It could help a lot for mobility. Also, think about a large messenger bag or backpack (this company makes big (custom) ones!) for hauling groceries and other goods. You'd be amazed how much you can haul around without a car. Especially living alone, groceries should not be a problem at all.

Congratulations on going car-free and good luck! I grew up in Miamisburg so I'm very familiar with what a pain it can be to get around from that particular stretch of 725. Should this experiment work well for you, will you consider moving to a more convenient location in the future? I'm a pretty staunch pedestrian (even when I've lived in places like Dayton and Columbus where people seem to have forgotten how to walk), but always try to snag an apartment that's convenient to buses and other services should they be needed... though I currently have to drive for groceries, it's been nearly 10 years since I've driven to school or work. Also, as natininja suggested, a decent bike may be a worthy investment (I forget if they have bike racks on RTA yet).

Congrats!  I also live in this area (towards DLM) and am surprised about how many bus routes are in this area.

Good luck with your car-free experience!  I am surprised that you did not mention the 17, which also serves 725 and the South Hub.  You can take the 17 downtown, or to the Washington Township DLM on Far Hills.  I would also strongly recommend getting a bicycle.  No need to splurge on a folder since all RTA busses have bike racks.

Good luck with your car-free experience!  I am surprised that you did not mention the 17, which also serves 725 and the South Hub.  You can take the 17 downtown, or to the Washington Township DLM on Far Hills.  I would also strongly recommend getting a bicycle.  No need to splurge on a folder since all RTA busses have bike racks.

 

Thanks, I didn't know about the racks. Folders are still nice for putting in friends' trunks (you can meet them places and go in the same car without leaving your bike behind), but their utility is much diminished if RTA has racks on all buses.

Three days so far commuting by bus. 

 

RTA's reputation (so far) is worse than its reality.  The buses are on-time, clean, and comfortable.  The situation at the downtown bus hub is quite efficient.  The buses all have designated slots, and there are these digital readout displays giving ETAs, so you know how much time you have till the bus gets there.  You know where to catch the bus and when its going to arrive.  So far no missed transfer.  I think my very early departures (first bus of the day from the South Hub to downtown), has something to do with this due to the light traffic that early.

 

On the way home the bus connection is awful.  Fortunatly the Miami Township library is right next door to the hub, so I can go in there and check my email and do other internet business, or just read the paper or a magazine and wait for my connecting bus.

 

Or I could walk.  Which I did yesterday (since the library closes early on certain days, Wed being one of them).  It's quicker for me to walk home than wait for the connecting bus down SR 725.  Though i do feel like a loser with all the cars passing me by. 

 

The +/- 30 minute walk to and back from the hub is actually pretty safe, with some shoulder walking, but fairly wide shoulders.  Probably not too easy to do if its snowing, and perhaps during a rainy day.  The route is atrociously lit, though, so I have to be somewhat careful during my morning walk (in the dark, still). 

 

 

I have been thinking about a bike before this bus experiment, but for now its going to be either bus or on foot.  I can really see using a bike for errands down around my apt (probably do-able for shopping, etc) and then riding around to places downtown.  Probably wouldnt take it to work though, since its too extreme ...

If it's faster to walk home than take the bus, a bike ride would be ideal. Take the bike to work on the bus, if you don't want to ride it. Then forget that walking home business. If you can walk it in 30 min, you can bike it in under 10!

 

What do you mean by "too extreme", anyway?

I probaly should have said 'too eccentric' vs "too extreme'.  Hah..yeah....taking the bus to work is already pretty eccentric, though, so machts nichts, huh?  My work just introduced a dress code, so I can't wear jeans and workboots anymore, which is my usual get-up when hoofing it or during rougher weather.  So, I have to bring in a change of slacks and some dress shoes when I get to work and change in the handicap stall  in the latrine since there are no locker rooms or places to change.  Which means a bulkier carry-on for me when on the bus, vs this army suprplus courier pouch I usually use.  I figure if I take a bike in I'd have to find some place to put it.  Maybe in the attic.

 

The bike/bus combo would be ideal for weekends.  For example, taking the bus with the bike on a rack to DLM, and the ride the bike back.  Or taking the bike downtown on the bus, and then use it to go to places in the city, like the aforementioned Charlies or 2nd Street Market, or that  Press.  I coffeeshop. I am certainly planning on taking the bus downtown on weekends anyway and walking to places while I save up for a bike.  I can see taking the bus for those music festivals on Dave Hall Plaza, Cityfolk Festival, the Celtic Fest, Gay Pride, etc. 

 

I'm thinking of riding around town on different bus lines as I'm seeing this is a good way to see the city.  I already know Dayton pretty well, but you see more if you aren't focused on driving and traffic.  The place looks a bit different.  It's interesting how that works. 

 

The walking issue does not bother me since I was walking, or hiking, three miles a day, minimum, after work.  So the walk to and from the hub just replaces the longer after-work walks.  I just thought it was illustrative of some of the frequency issues that can arise with the bus.  Yet so far no complaints with RTA.  I have noticed some cameraderie among regular riders, or a few of them.  I guess they've been riding a while so they know each other and the drivers. 

 

I'm liking this carless....or I guess car-free....thing.  It's different.  I feel like I've broken some taboo or mental barrier of some sort by doing this, actually going to work and getting groceries without a car. 

 

 

Good.  The more we break that barrier, the better this country will be.

Re: feeling like a loser standing at a bus stop with cars passing you by. My remedy is to think of the cars as just part of the moving landscape, like see birds flying by. Also bring something to do, like reading a book or a smart phone. If there's a bus shelter, a bench, or a half-wall sit on, it makes it easier. But I stopped being self-conscious about what other people think a long time ago.

Just read about this and though of you ,Jeffrey.

 

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/the-commuter-bike-redesigned-and-electrified/

I will be going back on the bus for one whole month starting in March, so this will be the last post for a week or so.

 

Friday was a reminder on how bus systems are at the mercy of the usual issues one finds with road congestion, as the heavy traffic on I-75 slowed the arrival of the "Dayton Mall"  bus from and to downtown.  This is the bus that uses I-75, and as those of you who travel through Dayton know, pretty congested during the rush hour.  So this congestion apparently slowed the bus so it was both late arriving and late departing at the downtown bus hub.  Not a big deal becuase I didn't have to make a connection at the south hub, but I can see how fixed rail on private ROW would be a superior form of transit in terms of speed and schedule reliability.  Makes me think of what a great missed opportunity that Dayton Area Rapid Transit scheme of the early/mid 1970s was.

 

Anyway, I notice that I can do things during that brief transfer time between buses, like quickly get books from the library (downtown library is  about two blocks from the downtown bus terminal) and bank (ATM is also close by).  If I know the call number and book I want its pretty quick to get off the bus from work, go to the library, get the book, and get back on my bus south, all in the time to transfer. 

 

People Watching on RTA

 

I havn't got too quant about this (counting riders and where they get off) but I do notice that the mall bus doesn't really stay "express", as it takes people on on the way to and from the freeway.  The "from" stretch goes through the "mall fuzz" office and retail stuff surrounding the Dayton Mall on the way to the hub.  And people get on and off ...usually "off"...along this stretch.  I think we lose maybe half the riders on the way to the hub.  Interesting to see this, as I suspect there are some hotel/motel workers getting on/off here, but also saw some kids taking their younger brothers and sisters to Chuckie Cheese.  Chuckie Cheese is right on the bus line. 

 

Sort of reminded me of when I was growing up as we'd take the bus to Six Corners and Belmont & Central (shopping districts on the northwest side of Chicago), usually to shop but sometimes to a restaurant or lunch counter (at Woolworth or Kresge) or matinee....this would be me, my cousin, my sister and my ma and grandmother. 

 

So it looks like folks still take their kids shopping or to restuarants on the bus.

 

 

 

 

Back on the bus (and on foot).

 

I cheated a bit yesterday since I drove to the bus hub, due to the rain.

 

I woke early to driving rain and thunder and thought "uh-oh" and fell back asleep.

 

Then finally woke for good and decided not to walk in the rain to the hub.  The rationalization was that it was too much thunder/lightening and wind and rather drive than walk in that with an umbrella. 

 

I think if it was ligher outside and the rain was more of a steady rain I would have walked.

 

@@@

 

You might say its silly not to drive to the hub since its only a mile or less away, but the idea is to be as car-free as possible, or within reason. 

 

I did walk to the bank, though, which is reasonable.  And I did most of my city stuff on foot (post office, Charlies market, bus pass, etc) this Saturday.

 

My first serious attempt at doing groceries by foot & bus will be this month, probably next week.

Took off work today and did some experimenting.

 

Alternate Routes to Downtown

 

Seems like I can use Bus 17 pretty easy to get downtown.  If I wasn't into this walking for fitness jag I would probably take it instead of walking to the hub to catch the express downtown since 17 stops right in front of my apartments.  I will probably use it if I need to drop things off at the library in the morning, and sure will use it if I need to get things from UD library or go shopping at DLM (thankx to Dayton Bike Rider upthread for that good tip!) or during rainy weather.  It's a good solid alternative route into the city and gives me time to spare for my connecting bus to work.

 

Downtown, notice I can get to an Avis rental place downtown just before they close if I need to rent a car.  So access to another set of wheels is set.  Downtown banking won't work since I wont be their early enough after work, since the bank closes early.  But I can use the no-fee ATM and I can use the suburban bank.

 

RTA to Greyhound

 

I was wondering about this and finally tried it out.  I took a bus from downtown (the Salem Avenue bus) up to the new RTA stop in Trotwood, which is integrated into RTA's hub operations.  Looks like this will be an easy connection if I ever want to use Greyhound (though their busses, the ones waiting, looked like cr@p compared to what I remember of Greyhound  from the 1970s).  No paper schedules available (cheap!), but the ticket guy told me they have four busses to Cincinnati per day.  So good connections to Cincy!  But $18 one-way.  $20 on weekends.  Ouch. 

 

(I was considering doing a trip to Louisville from Dayton via Greyhound, and also some day tripping to Cincy via the bus, but this isnt too reasonable, and the busses in Louisville are pretty weak when it comes to suburban service, at least the part of Louisville Im going too).

 

It was sort of jarring, though, seeing the bus destinations....Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, St Louis,....etc......seeing that little Greyhound operation as the gateway to the wider world if one didnt have a car and couldnt afford a plane. 

 

@@@

 

So, it is seeming more and more do-able, more and more a realistic lifestyle, to survive withough driving much in my corner of suburban Dayton.

]

 

 

 

 

I promise I will shut up on this for a while. But it is almost Spring time and I must say I think you would be doing yourself a huge favor if you bought a cheap bike and tried it out when the weather gets nice. You will see how easy it can be to get around without spending a cent on gas or fares.

 

First try it out when there's no traffic, and if that works you can ease your way into the flow. The cost of admission isn't huge and you can always turn around and sell it. (If you buy from an individual (like on Craigslist), you could even sell it for the same price.)

What is with this bike thing?  Yes, I understand the benefits, but its not for me just yet.

 

@@@

 

Yesterday was a “lessons learned” day.  In other words I learned about the necessity of planning out trips better and what I can and can’t do downtown.  What I can’t do is use the little branch post office on Court House Square, which was closed by the time I got there from the bus hub.

 

So…I hoofed it to the main post officeon 5th Street  just beyond the Oregon District, than spotted a bus going back into downtown on 5th.  Figured I could take it to Patterson, get off, and then walk up to UD.  No.  Doesn’t go to Patterson via 5th…it turns and goes ‘out of the way’ by going up Wayne to 3rd.  So I got off two blocks further north on Patterson than I wanted to be.

 

So, instead of the bus, a nice late afternoon walk up Warren and Brown to UD to get two Ohiolink books ready for me from UD.  I would have taken bus 17, but missed it due to the wild goose chase to the closed PO branch.  So it becomes faster to walk places than catching buses, as I learned.  But no complaints at this time since I wanted to do a longer walk, for fitness purposes (and something I did in the afternoon anyway).

 

After the visit to the UD library I thought I might be able to catch a bus south.  Instead I waited 45 minutes or longer for the next 17 bus.  Turns out it would have been faster to walk back downtown to the bus hub and catch the X5 express. 

 

So, I walked south, up Brown Street some more, and waited at the Patterson Homestead stop for the bus, noticing how much traffic on this stretch compared to further in.  I guess UD and the hospital must generate a lot of commuter traffic south.  Also noted how they tore down most of that old Chevy dealership (and old streetcar barn headhouse) for some new UD housing.  This could really suck or could be a great opportunity for infill.  Knowing Dayton it stands a good chance of being mediocre urban design (havnt seen the plans).    Brown Street is the big missed opportunity in this city since it connects a very desirable suburban area (Far Hills corridor) to UD and a big hospital.  But the planning has been weak or disjointed, some good things, but a lot of missed opportunities to do things better, to develop a Ludlow(Clfiton) or Coventry(Cleveland Heights) style retail/food/drink corridor.

 

Anyway, a part of the city I havn’t seen on foot before. 

 

Anyway, finally made it home, but the bus service, in terms of frequency, is poor for this part of the city, heading to the south suburbs, during rush hour times (say after 5 PM).  I notice the north leg of bus 17’s route has more service but this northern leg ends downtown during one or two of the rush hour runs and doesn’t continue south.

 

Given your...predilections described at the top of your post, you need a nice portable system map/schedule or smart phone (assuming there is a decent website to look up such things).

 

It really, really frustrates me how hard it is to figure out schedules & routes for impromptu bus usage in Ohio.

^

I think if one is doing routine commuting it works OK, but yes, impromptu use is a good way of putting it...and not really viable here.  This is not the CTA of the 1960s, that I grew up on, where you just wait a 10 minutes or so and a bus shows up. and they run on all the busy streets (so transfers are a piece of cake).

 

I guess the Cincy Streetcar will permit this kind of impromptu use..hop on/hop off...if and when it opens.  I think the idea is to have short headways, no?

 

For transit use here in Dayton...I figure I look at the Dayton area as a set of sort of walking/cycling "zones" or "ranges" (WSU, downtown, the "Mall Area") and then the bus system as longer-distance connectors between these zones of human-powered transport.

 

@@@@

 

Today is my first bad weather day on the bus, and so far Bus 17 is working fine. 

 

Yesterday I made reservations at Avis downtown for a car to take a daytrip to Lousiville with a friend on the weekend.  Very easy.  Avis is actually open on Sunday downtown (which is NOT the case for the rental places near me out in suburbia..believe it or not), so I bring the car back Sunday morning.  Got a real deal on the rental, too.

 

Getting back to the "Mall Area" bus hub no problem, made my connecting bus, and then spent some time doing computer work at the library next to the bus hub, before catching my last connection home.

 

Also, Im noticing that Greene Counties "CATS" paratransit system looks like it has some sort of  scheduled service between downtown Xenia and the downtown Dayton bus hub!  Wow!  This is news to me as I thought CATS was a strictly on-demand system.  No transfers, but apparently Xenia and Dayton are connected by public transit again. 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I made reservations at Avis downtown for a car to take a daytrip to Lousiville with a friend on the weekend.  Very easy.  Avis is actually open on Sunday downtown (which is NOT the case for the rental places near me out in suburbia..believe it or not), so I bring the car back Sunday morning.  Got a real deal on the rental, too.

 

One of the things I think people don't realize when imagining life without car ownership is how easy and cheap it can be to rent a car when needed.

^

Well, yeah, if you dont actually own a car, maybe.    Im beginning to see the concept of this zipcar and car sharing thing thats out there.

 

@@@

 

Anyway, rainy weather bus riding was no problem.  Took an alternate bus (Route 17) to & from downtown, so no biggy.

 

Complaint on some of these buses...they dont have good reading ligth.  Some have replaced the usual white fluorscent lights with these wierd blue lights, which flip on while running (I think the white lights turn on when the door open), which are tough to read by.  Meh.

 

I'm going to cheat on groceries this weekend by using my rental car to pick stuff up while on my way home....mainly to stop at Aldi, since its tough to reach Aldi by bus (do-able, but theres one on the way up from downtown Dayton). 

 

 

 

I should update this a bit. 

 

So far transit via bus has been OK, my third consecutive week of being more or less car-lite. 

 

And, now with DST it's light out later, so I can get in my after-work recreational walks in in the local forest preserve or on side streets.

 

Turns out Bus 17 has been my reliable wet-weather bus, since it stops right at a corner across from my apartment.  I sort of prefer the walk to the bus hub for the morning bus, though.

 

This weekend I take the bus on weekends for a change, to do some shopping and halve coffee and brunch with a freind who also doesn't have a car (and hasnt for a long time).  So I compare notes with him on things (or he has been sort of mentoring me a bit on this car-free thing). 

 

Also, noticed some more paratransit things...seems like Greene County CATS has a loop line into Dayton city to drop off/pick up at local hospitals...not just to the downtown bus hub, and there was a Warren County Transit van at the South Hub.  Now it is news to me that Warren County had any kind of public transit service!

 

 

Yesterday and today, while walking from and to the bus hub, I had some interesting pedestrian/vehicle encounters.

 

Yesterday...walking across a street an SUV crosses the street at right angles, coming toward me, but sees me and serves to avoid me.  This was a street with a stop sign, so they did come to a stop and were driving across the street as I was crossing the the street.  Sort of wierd seeing this guy or gal was so desperate to make the intersection that they'd drive across it with a pedestrian crossing the street.  But they knew I was there and took action to avoid me

 

Today....nearly was hit by a Mercedes.  Traffic light but no walk sign, and I had the light.  The car had stopped at the intersection and I was walking in front of it...then it started to move forward.  I did a quick side step and they stopped, guess they saw me at the last minute. 

 

Lessons learned....for drivers pedestrians dont exist, particularly in case #2, early morning traffic when its still dark outside.

 

 

Did a little grocery shopping by bike.  After dropping off a rental on Saturday, I walked to Old North Dayton, to Troy Street.  Goal was to take a few more snapshots of the Valley/Troy business district before certain buildings get demolished (a lot are boarded up, so I figure this is part of my "Dayton Documentation Project"), AND to do some shopping at Chariles...while I still can....

 

Charlies seems to be phasing out the market part and concentrating on their deli and junk food?/HFC/"forties" business (in other words becoming like every other surviving corner store here in Dirt-town.

 

So I get some Silesian rye bread (from Canada, no Silesia), blackberry syrup (from Slovenia), and some teewurst.  I have this shoulder bag I got at the US Social Forum and put it in that, wear it with my couriers pouch, which is also sort of a shoulder bag (got that at Northside Surplus in Cincy). and start walking back to the bus hub.

 

There is a bus line on Troy Street, and I saw a guy waiting, but given the low frequency of runs on weekedays (or any day for that matter) i figure i can walk to the downtown bus hub before I can catch a bus.  So la-de-da, walk back through OND, across the Mad River, moving fast under a blue midday sky....

 

..I check schedule and see I tarried too long taking pix of abanonded OND buildings and will have to rush to make the bus, or wait another hour.  Step up the pace! 

 

Then, around Memorial Hall, I see a bus passing, and see its bus 17!  My bus!  Yoiks!  Lucky me there is a light, and the bus stops...at a bus stop...at the intersection of 1st & St Clair.  I run to catch the bus before the light turns, knock on the door, driver opens it.

 

Driver: "Where did you come from?" (suprised to see someone appear seemingly out of nowhere)

Me: "From North DaytoN!"

She:  "Oh!"

Me:  "I was going to try to catch you at the hub but saw you drive by so ran to cacth you here"!

She:  I think she looked at me funny and had a laugh.  So, I ride 17 through the hub all the way back to my house down in the suburbs. 

 

Since there was a bit of layover at the hub I figure I might just have made the bus, but maybe not. 

 

I guess the lesson is to plan trips a bit.  If I didnt have food on me I probably could have waited a bit for the next bus.  But maybe not.

 

At home, I did do some walks for little errand things..to the Indian market for some guava juice and nuts, to Arrow Wine for soda wate, to Drug Mart for some canned veggies, sour cream, etc.  Thinking this is were the bike would come in handy, to make these "short" errands more workable. 

 

Also notice that Wal Mart is open near me and I should take a test walk there for timing and bus waiting, as an alternative to Cub.  But, truely, DLM @ Washington Square works better.  I can take 17 home from the hub on a workday, get off at DLM and get back on on the next bus with groceries. Could work!  But it would take forever to get home. 

 

Daylight Savings Time Leisure Walks

 

Now with DST, I have much more time after I get home to take some walking for fun.  Usually to Grant Park (which is a big forest/prairie preserve nearby) or subdivision walks to Spring Valley Road and Yankee, a suburban intersection that hasnt been developed much yet...except it has sidewalks.    I can get in 3 miles on both of these walks, though one is nicer than than the other.

 

 

Did a little grocery shopping by bike.

 

You mean "bus", no?

Finally did the test ride to WSU after work.

 

This required me to transfer to Bus #1 (appropriately numbered since this was the first horescar line in Dayton, at the start).  Crowded!  And a trainee driver.  They ended up pulling over somewhere in east Dayton and had us WSU-bound passengers get off and on to another bus since the bus we were on ended at Airway Shopping Center (Airway & Woodman).

 

So, this more-empty bus continued on to WSU, actually beyond the Student Union to Millet Hall, just a short walk from the library.  Was able to get my Ohiolink book, one other book, and almost catch the next bus! 

 

Saw the bus take off and then walked real fast (running in parts) to catch it at the student union.  Luickly I made this bus.  Otherwise another 20 minutes or so till the next one.  One thing nice about this route is that it seems to operate a a little better frequency.

 

Once downtown, I got to experience the "line-up", where all the busses seem to come in at once into the transit hub, parking on the outside passing lane as well as in the stalls, so you have to weave between busses to find the one you need.  Mine was 17, so I got a nice fast transfer downtown.  These line-ups dont happen a lot.  I think once around 6:30 or so, then later at night.  Reminds me of the "old RTA", whre buses would be lined up up and down Main Street.  Things are better organized now.

 

So, it looks like I can do weekday trips to WSU library to do some quick business (no browsing) and be home at a reasonable time.

 

On Friday I experiment with going out on a Friday and taking the bus home.  Dinner with a freind

Today was the experiment with carless shopping at Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)

 

I figured I could do some shopping at DLM since they carry Hessiche landlebewurst and Camenbert cheese, juniper berries, and Boston lettuce, some stuff Im looking for, and don't feel like driving around to get. 

 

So, "who meets the dawn owns the day".....I go on foot starting at 7 AM and walk first to the PO, who's automatic parcel machine is out of order (damn!)  and then walk to the Washington Village (DLM).  It takes me an hour, nearly exactley an hour, to get there (including the stop at the PO).  I deliberatly chose the wee hours of Sunday Morning to avoid traffic, becuase stretches of this walk are unsafe for pedestrians (SR 48 at LA Fitness and the I-675 overpass).  Otherwise this is a farily good walk, reasonable.  DLM was open and they had what I wanted, but the bus was going to take some time in getting there.  I was in- and out- fast. 

 

So, what to do.  Turns out Washington Village has a Boston Stoker, a  local coffeeshop chain, and they opened at 7 AM on Sunday.  So, get a nice sunny window seat and have a latte while waiting for the bus. 

 

Very civilized!  I get a nice no-traffic morning walk in, plus groceries in a mostly empty store, plus coffee, plus a bus ride back to the house.  Excellent! 

 

Later that morning, a long hike through Grant Park (not the famous Grant Park, rather, the forest preseve in south suburban Dayton),  then I take the bus downtown to try the downtown PO automatic mailing machine.  Yep, that one works.  And I stop at the library to FINALLY get that "Changing New York" book and two on Atget.  Urban pix by people who are serious photographers. 

 

And here I sit, typing to you all while waiting for the next bus (bus stop across the street from the library!).

 

Weekend Nights Downtown by Bus

 

On Friday night I did a night out downtown.  Met a friend at a local bar and we went to this lame-ass new gastropub called 'Luckies' (lame-ass compared to Louisvilles' "Blind Pig" in terms of food...pretty nice for  Dayton...more "pub" than "gastro" in Dayton, when its reversed @ Blind Pig).

 

Anywho, they DID have a good beer section on tap.  One of the best tap selections (though somewhat predictable) that I recall here in Dayton (thought I must say I dont really go out that much to drinking bars), and since it was First Friday the place was PACKED.  So packed that the order was slow in coming, so I just blew off the bus I wanted to take home and wandered around the few "First Friday" gallery things in the Oregon.  Friend dropped me off at the Century.  Had another beer.  Bored silly.  Said 'hell with it, I'll take the express south'. 

 

So I did.  I figured If I was going to be bored waiting for a bus I will do it at the south bus hub where I can wait for free vs paying for a drink while waiting.  Lucky for me there was a connecting bus just a few minutes later, which I took home.

 

Sort of the last lonley and wretched on the bus on Fridays, rainy Friday night to the mall, catching the bus at a sort-of line-up (I think they just had a back-up, so we just borded in the outside lane).  Not too keen on this just yet.

 

But otherwise Im seeing I can inhabit suburbia with minimal car use, plus work in fitness walks into errand-trips.  Lucky for me I live in the middle of a lot of stuff AND I'm on two bus lines and about a 30 minute walk from the bus hub.  It's working out,  so-far.

 

 

Great to hear!

Continuing my car-lite existence.  Mostly by bus but also on foot.  Notcing more the characters one encounters, or odd things....

 

The "White Bus"

 

Since I grew up in an era when "race" was a big deal I notice black & white more than most UO posters, who are younger and "beyond race".  So I can't help but notice most of the bus riders are black.  Though its not 99%, since there are a sprinkling of white people riding...actually more than a sprinkling, but, yeah, RTA is heavly used by minorities. 

 

But this past week I was on a bus that was actually majority white.  This was Bus 14, from downtown to Centerville & back, running down Far Hills.  It seems more a mix of folks, too, not the more transit-dependent white folks one usually sees.  So it was sort of odd riding a bus that had maybe more of suburban commuters on it.  In a way this was a reminder of what could-have-been if Dayton had got that proposed BRT or Light Rail line back in the 1970s.  That would have been a good, efficient way to head south, whithout traffic slowing things down.

 

And it was a reminder of the RTA I recall from, say, 1988 and 1989, when I was also riding the bus, that there were more commuters from the south suburbs on this "Far Hills Corridor" into downtown.  I guess that was ALSO a reflection that there was more office work downtown back then, too.

 

Stopping For Coffee

 

Not me, my bus driver!

 

First time I saw this.  WIth this wet weather I was taking bus 17, which is more direct to my place vs the hub express, but its one of the first busses at o-dark-hundred.  So very few folks on the bus (and the driver makes good time since theres no traffic to speak of). 

 

Well, apparently the guy was running fast, becuase he stopped off at Tim Hortons for coffee!

 

He pulled over and told us 'y'all dont have a problem w. me getting a cup a coffee?", then got off the bus and went into Tim Hortons and got a cup.  There were all of three people on the bus, so hey no problem.  We said maybe on Tuesday when Tim Horton has a two for one day we should all get off and get some coffee and donuts.

 

Things get sort of Toonerville Trolley at the tail end of these runs, or on runs that have just a bunch of regulars riding.

 

Anyway, sort of fun watching the gas prices as I ride by the gas stations. 

 

 

Its been a long time since I posted and, guess what, I still am riding the bus.  There was a hiatus in May due to being in Louisville on personal business, but this month its back on the bus.

 

This weekend I did two things by bus.  After work I had dinner with a freind and also spent some time doing First Friday events.

 

On Saturday I did Gay Pride by bus!  It was a LONG day, starting with an eary visit to the 2nd Street Market, doing some stuff with another friend (library and coffee at Press), then the pride events.

 

Took the bus back, too.

 

On Sunday I experimented again with grocery shopping via bus.  Found out that its an easy rdie to shop at Kroger AND Trader Joe (since they are across the street from each other). 

 

Interestingly enough the suburban buses are pretty busy on weekends.

My car-lite experment is probably going to be ending soon, due to changes to the RTA schedule.

 

The return bus from work is now getting back downtown much later, seriously screwing up my connections.  Instead of being able to take a transfer to a bus that runs right by my apartment (about 1/2 hour),  I would now have to wait an hour for that bus, making what was once a 1/2 hour trip to a 1 and 1/2 hour trip.  Too long. 

 

Alternative is to take the express bus to the hub and then wait, again, for a bad connection, or I walk the 1 mile or so back to my place.  Something I don't really want to do during these hot & humid summer months.

 

I'd say I could drive to the hub and take the express to and from the downtown transfer.  But they changed the times on the express too.  So my connection downtown to work would be too tight.  On paper its do-able...assuming no inbound traffic jams or accidents screwing things up.  Which is one reason I dont like the express.  Interstate traffic making it not such an express, or its a crap shoot as to whether traffic messes up the schedule and, thus, making transfers at the hubs.

 

I guess it depends on how much ones time is worth.  I guess I could kill that long wait for bus 17 by going to a bar for some drink and conviavilty, or maybe the library to do internet stuff. 

 

 

I think you should write the bus agency about it. Let them know you're a choice rider, and their schedule change has forced your hand against using their services. It's good information for them to have, regardless of what they do with it.

Yes, I was thinking about it.  I know some of the other riders are not happy, either.  But fighting a bureaucracy is maybe not worth it since, as you note, I do have choices.

 

The system is still working for me for non-work rides, though, like going into the city on weekends or grocery shopping.

 

And...im pretty close to buying a bike.  There was one at a pawn shop downtown that looked like it would fit me....'Marin County' brand.    And I saw something at gay pride that looked nearly perfect, called an "Electra", three speed.  It looked like a great sturdy utility bike if I put baskets on it.

So far things are actually working out with my new schedule, though mainly because my connecting bus has been running late.  Yesterday I managed to get back from work, go to WSU and get an Ohiolink book (on Sea Ranch, of all places...for some reason I'm getting intrest in the Bay Region Style again), and then return to hub and still make my connection back to Washington Township

 

One of the riders is a good organizer.  She xeoroxed a bunch of flyers with the name and e-mail contact at RTA for us to contact to register our complaints and suggestions.  I sent off an email and got a reply that they are working on it.  So RTA is responsive to customers. 

 

Im going to look for a bike tomorrow.  So far my one experience with a bike shop has been underwhelming....they didnt seem to be interested in selling me a bike.  I'm going to another bike shop and see if they have (or can get) that "Electra" bike I saw last weekend in a large sized frame.

 

The bike I saw at the pawn shop is gone, unfortunatley.  Dons has their bikes out on a rack in front of the store, and as we passed by with the bus I looked out and saw it wasnt out there anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice. Glad to hear RTA is responsive.

Jeffery, this blog thread is really interesting. I have a car-less family member that lived in Centerville (Revere Village) for several years. He could go about all of his business, which included regular trips downtown, in a fairly straightforward manner. But he had to plan things out very rigorously, and bus transfers would easily make what should be a 45 minute trip into a two hour trip.

 

That in itself is worth noting. He was on only one bus line along Rt 48 (#17?) To get anyplace in a realistic time he had to walk 1 mile north to a bus stop on Franklin Street.  I initially thought these apartments would be very easy to access from the bus and the reality was that Revere Village is in an outland as far as bus routes are concerned. Almost every trip anyplace requires a time wasting transfer.

 

In general I didn't see being carless in Centerville or Washington Township to be very practical at all, unless, like you, a person is located right along major roads with bus service. And for walking, distances in Centerville and Wash. Township are simply vast.

 

I assume that you know about the online tool that RTA has for planning bus trips on their web site? It will plan your transfers and give you estimated travel and arrival times. My family member did not have computer access, though. The only bad thing about the online tool is that almost no normal address format works as an endpoint. You have to guess and use their lookup tool to determine a starting and ending location that it understands.

^

Im not sure where Revere Village is....there is limited bus service out south of Centerville, I know, via route 14.

 

In general I didn't see being carless in Centerville or Washington Township to be very practical at all, unless, like you, a person is located right along major roads with bus service. And for walking, distances in Centerville and Wash. Township are simply vast.

 

...if you lived in a single family home out in a plat, or well away from the bus lines, or was in a family household, yes.  For me I'm fortunate that through a fluke in zoning and development patterns, my place is directly off a highway with two bus lines.  I never realized how convenient my place was for non-car owners....well, I sort of did, since my partner didnt have a car, and we did walk to Wilkies a lot back in the 1990s when it was across the street. 

 

But its really even more a reason why I dont want to live in the city, since there is so little in the city that would be open for me after work, aside from nightlife.  Which is only a weekend thing for me anyway.  Yes, I know the SR 725 strip is also a bar/nightclub area but nothing I'd be interested in.

 

Yet, I do agree, that though I can walk to a lot of things, they can be long walks (particularly to the post office).  If I had a bike things would speed up for me in doing short-hop errands. 

 

@@@

 

This weekend I again walked to DLM, but timing was off and I got there too late for the early bus 17 back south.  So, to kill time I ketp walking north down Far Hills.  Got as far as Rahn Road before turning back to DLM (& coffee at Boston Stoker). 

 

Doing this walk I think, if I left early enough, I could actually walk to Town & Country to go shopping at TJs (they open at 8 AM) or Kroger (open 24 hours), working in one of my longer weekend fitness hikes as a "shopping trip", and then take 17 back south. 

 

I also am more cognizant of distances and topography on foot.  This area is hillier than I realized.  I guess I knew this, but never really experienced it much other than via driving.  Also makes me wonder what this area looked like before it was developed as suburbia.  Maybe a bit like Champaigne County or Logan County, with those glacial hill belts.

 

@@@

 

Anway, it was 17 back home, but there is another bus heading south...

 

....I could have taken 14 to the Centerville village "four corners" and walked back on 725.  But that would be a longish walk with even the small amount of groceries I got (just enough to fit in a shoulder bag).  Being car-lite,  I find myself paying attention to "weight" and what I can carry via bags, etc.

 

@@@

 

As mentioned elsewhere, I was looking for a bike on Saturday, and I did that by car (oh, the irony!).  More to get the feel of whats out there.  There is one more bike shop I want to visit, in the Greene (of all places).  My bartender at The Century said one of the guys working there comes into the C-Bar every so often....so thats a good sign since C-Bar gets some pretty interesting folks (like me!).  Goal is to get a bike, but I figure I have plenty of time to look around....and read up on this stuff. 

 

Seems there was some interesting things in Bicycle magazine on this new breed or riders out there, a breed that sounds like it might be like me, or Im onto a trend that is picking up.    There is also a mag called Bicycle Times that seems more geared to "urban" biking, or

"practical biking". 

 

@@@

 

So far I am seeing on how  I can mix the car, the bus, walking/hiking, and...soon...biking into a mix of ways of getting around.  Looking at "transportation" as multiple choice of options depending on weather, purpose, and my mood. 

 

 

 

 

Still riding the bus! 

 

Even more so now, since the AC in my car is broke.  Even with the infrequent driving that I do things are breaking down.  One thing that differs from the RTA of old is that the AC is working on most of the busses I ride.  More often than not.  This wasnt the case with when I was riding back in 1989 or 1990....in fact the uncomfortable buses turned me off on RTA back then.

 

A "Power Rider"?

 

There used to be things called "power users" in computer world.  People who knew all the features of a software or really knew their way around it.  Now Im not going to say that Im that way on the bus, but this past weekend, or week or more, I really used the bus for odd hours and errands and stuff.  Nearly totally forsaking the car except for a very uncomfortable drive to & from Cincy for Pride.

 

I actually tried to take the bus to The Greene, that disgusting lifestyle center right on the county line.  Yes there is a bus stop 'sort-of' across the street from it.  But the buses dont go one the property.  And MY bus didnt go near it....so I had a bout a 30 minute walk to the shopping center  along Dorothy Lane, from the old "Rikes Kettering" shopping center (Dorothy and Woodman).  THis was bus 23....which actually DOES go on a store property, it goes into the Meijer lot, and theres a nice stop, with bench, right close to the front of the Meijer store, too.  Nice to see that.

 

The stop at Rikes Kettering was nice, too...tree shaded and with a bench and sidwalk to the shopping center lot (didnt half to walk on the grass).  Whats nice is that this is ALSO close to Aldi...so I have a single-seat ride to either Meijer or Aldi if I want to go grocery shopping. 

 

Incidentally, I went to the Greene because I was told that there was a bike shop there.  I was told wrong.  There was a bike shop there at one time, but it closed, so said "guest services" info booth. So not much reason to hang out at the Greene so I walked back. 

 

Busses and Nightlife

 

Believe it or not I actually am doing this!  Mixing bus transit with live music. 

 

On weedays I go to Canal Street Taverns' "Muscians Co-Op" open mike night.  I want to sort of be a regualr there, and also enjoy hearing the local singer sonwriter stuff.  Turns out I can do this pretty easy.  Get off my work bus, go to downtown library AND/OR a coffee shop or tavern to kill some time before Canal Street Tavern opens up.  Then I take the next -to-last bus home.  Or I take the very last one...the "Last Train to Clarksville" as I call it (obscure ref to an old Monkees' song).    This is a bit too late, but I hear enough. 

 

Thinking this might not work on weekends though, since the music seems to start later on Fridays and Saturdays.  But no cover for this open-mike stuff. 

 

Turns out I might be able to start going to the Drinking Liberally events at the Trolley Stop in the Oregon again, and mix it in with the trad music jam they host there.  I was to maybe two of the DL events, so might want to start going to them again, just to meet a few like-minded souls.

 

Saturday Evening By Bus

 

An on Saturday I mixed art and a short pub crawl...and the bus. 

 

This time I took my bus (Bus 17) to the "line-up"...when all the busses arrive at the downtown hub at the same time.  I used to thing this was nuts and bad schedulling, but I now see it as the one best time to make a transfer!  In this case I transfered to the old Bus 4..the Xenia Avenue/Linden bus.  Took it out Xenia to Linden, got off and walked to an art show in the upper floors of an old loft factory off Linden.  Cool stuff!

 

Then walked back downtown through the Huffman & fringe of the St Annes Hill area.  Sort of did this leisurly, since it was "golden hour", just before sunset.  By the time I got downtown, had more time to kill, went to a tavern again, and found a freind quite by accident.  We had a few drinks, then it was off to the hub to catch the bus home.  The next to last one.

 

Was thinking I could have stayed later, had a few more, and catch the very last one.

 

But glad I didnt

 

Reason why was that when I was at the hub...and it was sparse that time of night....there was this one younger guy..maybe early 20s....playing these bongo drums...the smaller ones not the tall ones.  And doing a good job of it.  Not asking for money or anything, just playing for the hell of it.

 

A nice grace note to end the day.  Something I wouldnt have seen if I had stayed, or if I drove. 

 

You get to be among people more when you ride the bus.

 

 

Its's been over a year since I started this thread, and I am still using tbe bus. 

 

For awhile, I was really slacking off on this (more in the fall & winter, due to various personal reasons) but have returned to bus riding & walking....

 

...but, guess what....

 

 

...i finally bought a bike, at a pawnshop for $175.  I took it home with me on the bus, too!!!

Boy was I worried about that, being able to figure out the bike thingy in front.  But I did and made the return trip OK.

 

After the bus I took it on one of my walk routes...to the "gray barn" @ Yankee & Spring Valley roads (familar intersection to south suburbanites).  This is about 3-4 miles, but I am going to do some runs to get an average speed, to compare with walking.

 

The idea is that I finally got tired of walking for errands around my house and want to take a bike just to speed things up.  But I notice that even with all the walking Ive been doing (and Ive been doing some agressive---for me---long distance walks), I am a bit worn-out using the bike, notice I'm using or working different muscles.  More of a workout.  Something I need to build up to.

 

Also, Im going to experiment with biking/walking in distant parts of the metro area.  For example the bus that goes past my house also goes up to Vandalia.  I took a test ride this past weekend up there, and saw that I can probably get down to the Taylorsville Reseve and then the bike path from Vandalia, get some hiking in or even ride up to Tipp City and back.

 

So, my carless thing is about to become even more so.

 

Oh, yeah, more about that bike...

 

I should also say I didn't get one of those hot new "urban" bikes that the hipsters ride (the ones with fenders, etc), but a plain old black Schwinn Sierra GS mountain bike, but with a red flasher in back, white reflector in front and a little cargo shelf in back which I need to do a fix on.  Just got a chain & lock, too, so I can use it to go places.  Noticed at Wal-Mart I can get some basket accessories if I need to, horns, bells, and front headlights. 

 

Lots of possibilities here.

 

To be honest I don't really know how to ride it.  It has these handlebar speed shifts...on on the left and the other on the right.  Not sure how this is supposed to work (even after reading the online stuff).  Guess Ill figure it out.

 

This weekend I'm thinking of taking it into the city (via bus) to ride around...to 2nd Street Market, Press coffee shop, Smales to get some pretzels, etc....

 

Probably the left one is for high, middle and low range, while the right one is for the six gears within each range. The left one controls the derailleur on the front sprocket and the right one the rear.

Yay!!!! Can you see? I am dancing in celebration!!! :D

 

Good luck with the bike. You probably want a fender of some sort because water can fly right up your booty.

 

When you work up that leg strength you can go for a ride to Cincy. ;-)

 

(No, I have never done a ride that long.)

 

I'm afraid of putting my bike on the front of a bus too, lol. Still have never done it. I would try it if it were really convenient for wherever I am going though.

Ah, thanks GCrites80!....that explains it!

 

I should say this bike is an experiment.  Probably if I like it or get used to it I might buy one of those hipster urban bikes.    The fender was something I wanted, but then I thought I wont be riding in wet weather much anyway...at least not at first....so maybe not super-necessary at this time.

 

I am really excited about this bike, though.  It opens up some new options in transportation and I also feel Im part of a sort of "community" of bike riders.  I also see a lot of folks riding bikes & using the bus, so have a bit of confidence level as one of that group of transit riders...

I opted for fenders on mine. The first time I got caught in the rain I decided they were well worth it.

 

 

 

Thing is even well after the rain there is still water on the ground.

^And a lot more water near the edge of a crowned road where bicycles normally ride. Riding in the rain without fenders, even if it's a very light rain, can be downright miserable.

In regard to gears: 

 

Especially when you're first getting your body adjusted to biking you want a high rep/low pressure gear.  It's a Goldilocks thing where you don't want it to be like you're doing weighted squats, nor do you want to be pedaling on air.  Also, try remember to shift down (lower pressure) when getting ready to stop and shift back up as you take back off.  All of this will help your body gradually adjust and mitigate potential muscle pain and joint injury.

...yeah, I noticed that "pedaling on air" feeling when i was doing my first ride and playing around w. the shifting.  I dont want to go overboard just starting out..true...

 

@@@@

 

Anyhow,

 

I notice that people using the bike/bus combo here in Dayton are not the hipster/alternative types or even generic commuters, but mostly this hardscrabble set that usually rides RTA.  Teens (probably high school kids) and young adults but quite a few "homeless joe" types, too (just a term, they probably really arn;t homeles) ...in short its not middle class white folks who are doing this. 

 

I think this is because that public transit is seen as declasse...

 

 

More bike notes....so far, experimented with that RTA/bike mix on Sunday...taking the bus downtown w. bike then cycling to certain locations I walk to.  Particularly wanted to test run to Old North Dayton (Charlies Market) and 2nd Street Market, but also did the hipster poser thing and rode to the Oregon and to Press coffeeshop for a latte.

 

Also did a run into Miami Twp (to bus hub, but also to Wal-Mart to see about tie-down locations for grocery shopping and to get some stretch tethers at Harbor Frieght Tools).

 

What I learned: I have to be very careful re broken glass and debris in curbs and even on sidewalks (they dont call Dayton "Dirt-town" for nothing). And I am having to walk the bike on steeper grades because Im not fit enough yet to pedal those.

 

Also, noticing how I can mix using the bikeway with the painted bike paths and regular street cycling in the city...but on-street riding is dicey.  I did this downtown/Old North Dayton/Webster Station/Oregon route on a Sunday, with minimal traffic.  I would be very leery of riding some of these areas during regular hours with more traffic (esp Troy Street and that Troy/Valley intersection, and Keowee, and Wayne Avenue). 

 

Thinking i'm going to pretty much stick to my original plan of just using the bike for local errands in Washington Twp, where I can use their "shared use" sidewalks.  I can use these to get into Miami Twp to go to Wal-Mart for groceries and the credit union.

 

Probably not going to take the bike into the city much....feel its safer to walk, though it takes longer. Walking is OK.

 

Should be enough for me.

I should also say that the connection btw the Dayton Mall/Bus Hub area and Washington Twp has drastically improved with a new paved sidewalk/bike path along Lyons.  I can now ride/walk all the way to the bus hub (actually to Wal-Mart) and my place using this route without having to ride or walk on a shoulder.