One could buy years worth of bus passes for the cost of the vespa&gas.
Thirty two blocks. That’s about two miles. A nice walk twice a day, and a good way to help take some weight off. Unless you go through a bad neighborhood, which would make it a nice little run. 
ridership’s WAY up in Philly. 
You can check out the prices and routes here:
www.septa.com
I don t have the ridership numbers, but Mrs CHasR, who rides every day, says busses and Trains and light rail (yeah.. we still got Trolleys! stick that in yer hoagie + smoke it! 
) have been even more crowded than usual since april.
Cabs, which the city regulates to the hilt, just increased prices signifigantly.
I have to get around 11 counties on a daily basis. Im seeing somewhat less traffic, and a little more ‘locality’ in shopping + entertainment choices.
STILL, what Id really like to see :
IS BYCYCLISTS OBEYING SOME BASIC TRAFFIC LAWS:
Like, for instance:
STOPPING AT A F!@&^%#(*&- ING RED LIGHT??!?!??!?! 
This would help.
.
Two miles each way is what I walk twice a week to get to the classes I take at the local jr. college. Sometimes I walk a mile farther after class to do a bit of window shopping at the mall.
I started out walking one way then riding the bus home afterwards but I’d always miss the bus by a minute so, instead standing around waiting ten minutes for the next bus, I just started walking home.
Since the street is very busy I usually walk a block farther than the main route home so I’m not directly breathing auto exhaust.
Sometimes the kids I’m in class with see me walking and offer me a ride but the vehicles they’re driving are “beaters” and I don’t have a problem just smiling and saying “thanks, but no thanks” (the goofy old lady I am, I guess).
They’re probably there, but you don’t notice them.
I don t get you 
What Im saying, is:
Bycyclists, who use the same roads cars do,
blatantly disobey traffic laws (at least in my city):
they run red lights,
make right turns from the left lane, and vice versa,
without signaling,
weave and dodge through cars,
create their own lanes,
and use streets with no bike lanes clearly marked "NO BYCYCLES’.
Yet, they pay no taxes for using the roads , or registration / liscense fees and are uninsured.
If a driver were to do ANY of this,
they’d get hit with a hefty fine, and possible imprisonment.
HEY: Im all for it- one less car, fine! Ride your bikes…
BUT STOP AT A DAMN STOP SIGN!
Say it with me, kids:
(to the tune of “This Old Man”, in G)
“Green means go, red means stop: be your own little traffic cop”
.
.
I’d walk more, except that the closest place I go to regularly is about 12 miles away as the crow flies. Along a highway. No sidewalks.
Even a 49CC vespa is over $2,500 in my neck of the woods…my bus pass is $480 per year…so it would take 5 years to cover the cost of a vespa and if you looked outside my window you’d not be caught on a bike/scooter in this kind of storm if you’re sane (hail, 3" per hour rain, etc.).
Don’t get me wrong, I love scooters and am planning on buying another (our old one died a few years back after 10 years of good service to us - the scooter was a 1988 model with a body that was falling apart and new parts hard to find), but scooters do not replace good mass transit unless you live in a nice place without harsh weather.
Eric
It’s 5 miles one way to work, which would take me about 1-1/2 to 2 hours to walk. Then I’m on my feet all day. Also, as I’ve said before, I work in a rotten part of town and it’s not safe to walk after dark.
It’s much more than two miles…maybe our “blocks” are longer here…we’ve always considered 8 blocks to equal 1 mile, thus 35 blocks would be over 4 miles and I think that’s about right according to my odometer. I couldn’t walk it or ride a bike–unfortunately, I have very bad knees (one replaced two years ago) and they wouldn’t stand for it! Wish I could. My daughter started riding her bike to work about a month ago and absolutely loves it, even though bike lanes are rare and she’s had a few close calls.
Susan
You don’t notice the cyclists who obey the laws, just like you apparently don’t notice the drivers that BREAK the laws, whom are assuredly FAR more common.
Let’s unhijack this thread. If you just want to vent about cyclists, start a separate thread for that purpose.
One of my in-laws purchased a bike with an electric motor. Charge it up and it will allow you to either ride without assistance, assisted, or on electricity only. I think it goes about 20 miles on battery only. (My in-law used the assist up a long incline) The battery detaches, and is charged indoors.
It might be an option if you are looking at a scooter. Depending how cold it gets in your neck of the woods, the battery might not be as effective if it dips below 0°F, but then you can either pedal, or take the bus.
Although a vesta with a side car would be better for getting your groceries…
Here in the “suburbs” of L.A., I can’t find a bus schedule that takes me to work and gets me back at a reasonable time.
I’d love to get a Vespa, but not for the usual reaasons. I could motorpace all my cycling buddies all day long and not get tired.
Having biked behind a Vespa, I can say the exhaust would not add to a pleasant bike ride. Perhaps it was just in need of repair.
One thing I do wonder about, The number of scooters has doubled near the bike racks at the university. If gas prices go back down, will they end up in the garage as yet more clutter? Starting at $3000 it would take a lot of driving to justify the cost unless you were able to fully rid yourself of a car in getting one.
susnfx, Have you looked into the month long passes? and the other UTA Discount Programs
Ridership on Boston’s public transportation is up 6% from last year. My wife and I live 40 miles out and commute by rail and subway every day. The monthly passes are $250 each. It’s much cheaper and much faster than driving. As a bonus, we get to read the newspaper, listen to music and sleep. The trains now have wi-fi too.
I agree with ChasR. I’ve seen an increase in bicycles but so many people have no concept on how to ride on the road.
Being a bicyclist myself it really ticks me off because it gives all of us a bad name.
I saw two ladies take a left turn in front of oncoming traffic at a light a few days ago. Idiots.
One of my neighbors uses one of these most dayshttp://www.alteredelectricskateboards.com/anthem_600_P.htm for a five mile commute. Tows his son on a non-powered board for fun.
that’s why I’m looking either at used ones (I don’t want to spend more than $1500) or a new one from a shipper that we then put together. No Vespa or Honda, maybe a Yamaha. I’d like to get one that’s around 150cc (I have a major hill to climb on my way home).
sorry to dissppoint you, monkey 587, but how can you know what I see on the roads? really?
There’s plenty of both good and bad behavior by all who use the roadways.
and No, Im not going to start another thread just to bi#ch about bicyclists;
As a driver, I dont mind seeing more bikes: as long as they’re subject to the same laws drivers are.
And if they DONT, WONT, or CANT obey common traffic laws, such as stopping at a red light,
Then they can damn well get on the bus, train, or trolley.
.
I know what you mean Susan, UTA has really hiked the fares this past year. I’m afraid it is discouraging too many people at a time when UTA needs to make it’s self more appealing - traffic problems in Salt Lake valley are only getting worse but it has not quite reached desperate enough proportions I guess. Just wait, Seattle used to be like that when I was growing up and now look at it. Another problem is lack of east-west routes, my last job was in West Valley and I discovered that there are not enough east-west routes, most seem to go north-south. I rode my bike as much as possible, but biking from Sugar House to West Valley is not high on anyones scenic, or safe, cycling routes I’m afraid, regardless of whether you stop for stop signs or not. Too many idiots behind the wheel of a car. They breed them especially to kill cyclists and pedestrians in them parts.
UTA also keeps changing bus routes in ways that adversly affect me - I have to assume that it is helping other folks at least. The worst was when they changed the ski bus routes. I used to be able to catch it near my house and take it right to the mountains - it made for a lot of great ski touring options since you did not have to arrange a car shuttle when you were coming out a different canyon. Too bad.
My most reliable transportation is my bike. I have a fixed gear for getting around town which is great for getting around the valley since it is flat. Sometimes I jump on TRAX with the bike if I need to extend my range.
Actually, UTA has done something that has had a positive effect on the local ITM crowd. I took the new comuter train to the session in Ogden last Friday. My pipe case got some curious looks from the brief-case totting crowd - what a strange brief case, and something even stranger inside buddy believe me. Don’t make me break out the pipes! It was fun, and at $5 it was a lot cheaper than me driving to Ogden alone, and faster since Friday trafiic on I-15 at 5:30pm is typically really bad. The train station in Ogden is only about 4 blocks from the session venue which is nice. A lot of folks have expressed interest in taking the train next month, who knows maybe we will entertain the pasengers with a few tunes next time
John!