Public transport for walkers.

Walking is the most sustainable means of transport - except when you drive 50 miles there and back to go on a five-mile walk! Excessive car use doesn't only impact on the environment in a wider sense, it also causes the very specific and local problems of congestion and inappropriate parking in popular countryside areas. That's why the Ramblers encourage walkers with cars to leave them at home whenever they can.

Hopping on a bus, tram or train to get to and from your walk can also add to your enjoyment. You can plan more flexible walks because you don't have to return to your car, making linear walks much easier. You can forget the hassle of finding a parking space and the worry of car crime, and there's no reason not to relax over a pint in a pub along the way.

It's true that some remote country areas have little or no public transport, but don't just assume that's the case where you want to walk: you may be surprised that there are more services than you think.

This thread will help you to find out more shortly.

I can only agree with your 'green' ideals Albert. So much so, in fact, that a while ago, I resolved to leave my car behind in Leicester whenever I come up to Sheffield for the weekend. Apart from the points you raise, it is becoming increasingly time-consuming and frustrating trying to get from A to B on today's over-used roads - much less convenient and far less enjoyable than using public transport, in my opinion. :)

I can only agree with your 'green' ideals Albert. So much so, in fact, that a while ago, I resolved to leave my car behind in Leicester whenever I come up to Sheffield for the weekend. Apart from the points you raise, it is becoming increasingly time-consuming and frustrating trying to get from A to B on today's over-used roads - much less convenient and far less enjoyable than using public transport, in my opinion. :)

On another subject.
My foot did not ache after Saturdays walk. Thanks.
I may be nominating you for the voluntary post of,' Foot adviser to the Sheffield Forums Walking Group '.

Public transport does not get me from where I live to where I want to walk without it taking hours each way, plus it costs me more, so therefore I don't use it.
E.g. from leaving my front door to arriving at Castleton would take around 2 1/2 hours and cost 2 of us £17 return. By car I'd be there in 40 mins, and would use £5 fuel altogether.
Publis transport is also dirty, smelly and more often than not, not in the right place at the right time.

Public transport does not get me from where I live to where I want to walk without it taking hours each way, plus it costs me more, so therefore I don't use it.
E.g. from leaving my front door to arriving at Castleton would take around 2 1/2 hours and cost 2 of us £17 return. By car I'd be there in 40 mins, and would use £5 fuel altogether.
Publis transport is also dirty, smelly and more often than not, not in the right place at the right time.

I think all the group members who were abandoned by the lack of any Rail, Bus or adequate taxi services from Retford would agree.

I'm neither anti car nor anti public transport - horses for course I would say; now there's a novel thought turning up for a walk on horseback - now who might do that:huh:

being poor, and more importantly not being able to drive, im pretty much stuck with the public transport. it is a pain and annoying spending the time and effort getting into town to get on a train that then goes past my house!!! but needs must. i do enjoy a cold beer in a warm pub at the end of a walk, which public transport allows me to do i guess, with out worrying too much about getting home safely.

Well, I still enjoy a pint at the end of a walk abagnall even if I am driving, but I must admit there are times when I've been walking with the Group when I could just go into 'session-mode' but can't, which is a pain! I have to wait till I get home instead!
The point I'm making though, is that I do have a choice, and wheras I can see where Mardy is coming from with her choosing not to get stuck in traffic jams trying to get from Leicester on a Friday, I would be less likely to walk in the Peaks if I had to use public transport.
Can I ask you though, if you weren't "poor and unable to drive" would you still use public transport all the time?

Well, while were on the subject. . . . . . . I have to say I find it rather ironic the government preaches incessantly at us to use public transport/save the environment. . .and then provides the most inadequate public transport service I've ever experienced. I can't count how many times I've been stranded or waited for over an hour in the rain for a bus that never materialized.
And when I'm paying for tax disc, insurance ect anyways. . .it often works out much cheaper to take the car then paying some of the ridiculous train fares it costs me to get to A to B (see thread to the seaside walk).
Why doesn't the government save some money on it's ads telling us to be green and put some resources into actually making it possible to do so.

<snip>


Why doesn't the government save some money on it's ads telling us to be green and put some resources into actually making it possible to do so.

Blame Thatcher, she privatised everything! :)

Please note my use of the word "ideals" in my initial post #2.

Ooooh! garethb!!!!! I think I love you! That's my line! EVERYTHING's ALWAYS Margaret Thatcher's fault! lol





(Don't tell Saul I said that, anyone! I have a feeling I'll be in trouble now, re: "I think I love you!" and not Margaret Thatcher, that is!)

hand on heart i would have to say no, i would use the car. i do enjoy using the trains/buses and the random people that we meet while on them, and i do like the idea of being "green" , but the ease and convenience of driving would probably win out more often than not. if i did have a car, i would car share and id make sure that the people i shared with could drive also, so that turns were taken in driving.....or more importantly turns were taken in being able to drink :)

Please note my use of the word "ideals" in my initial post #2.

I often use the car rather than public transport because of the financial and convenience issues involved - like Canada Girl said, I've already paid road tax and insurance and for an MOT, so why pay again, especially when it's often more expensive. But, saying that, I worked out that the petrol cost to Sheffield from home is exactly the same as the train fare, but it still works out possibly a bit cheaper in the car because I have to pay an additional £3.60 on bus fares to and from Leicester station. It's just a matter of weighing up whether or not I want to sit on the M1 for up to 3 hours (and sometimes it's been longer!) or whether I'd rather catch a bus and a train - the train takes 1 hour 10 minutes.

A good friend of mine none of whose family drives at all, swears that public transport costs around the same in a year, once it's all totted up, as running a car, even if you use taxis as well. I think this might be true, but only if you use one or the other - public transport or car. You do feel like you're paying twice when using public transport, if you already have a car paid for.

I understand completely the point about public transport not necessarily going to and from the right places when you need it. It can be very frustrating. I can enjoy public transport, but probably only because I have my car to fall back on at the end of the day. I don't know how I'd really feel if I didn't have my car.

On another subject.
My foot did not ache after Saturdays walk. Thanks.
I may be nominating you for the voluntary post of,' Foot adviser to the Sheffield Forums Walking Group '.

I'm so pleased to hear it, Albert. I'm very glad to have been able to help. I hope you continue to enjoy pain free walking. :)

I often use the car rather than public transport because of the financial and convenience issues involved - like Canada Girl said, I've already paid road tax and insurance and for an MOT, so why pay again, especially when it's often more expensive. But, saying that, I worked out that the petrol cost to Sheffield from home is exactly the same as the train fare, but it still works out possibly a bit cheaper in the car because I have to pay an additional £3.60 on bus fares to and from Leicester station. It's just a matter of weighing up whether or not I want to sit on the M1 for up to 3 hours (and sometimes it's been longer!) or whether I'd rather catch a bus and a train - the train takes 1 hour 10 minutes.

A good friend of mine none of whose family drives at all, swears that public transport costs around the same in a year as running a car, even if you use taxis as well, once it's all totted up. I think this might be true, but only if you use one or the other - public transport or car. You do feel like you're paying twice when using public transport, if you already have a car paid for.

I understand completely the point about public transport not necessarily going to and from the right places when you need it. It can be very frustrating. I can enjoy public transport, but probably only because I have my car to fall back on at the end of the day. I don't know how I'd really feel if I didn't have my car.

Well said!

Can we try and leave the politics out folks, well, try and not get too zealous about individuals anyway, otherwise Big Brother will get involved :suspect:
But going back to the public transport debate, ideally, we would all like to get from A to B in our chosen mode of transport as quickly and cheaply as possible. But that won't happen unless the Govt builds lots of new roads and widens almost every existing motorway and dual carriageway, which means losing more countryside, not to mention who's going to pay for it, aso, aso.
And going back to the 70's before de-regulation can't be compared to nowadays either, because the standard of living was lower then, and a lot less people could afford cars in those days, which meant public transport was more popular, and less cars on the roads too at that time.
To be honest, there is no answer that I can see.

Can we try and leave the politics out folks, well, try and not get too zealous about individuals anyway, otherwise Big Brother will get involved :suspect:
But going back to the public transport debate, ideally, we would all like to get from A to B in our chosen mode of transport as quickly and cheaply as possible. But that won't happen unless the Govt builds lots of new roads and widens almost every existing motorway and dual carriageway, which means losing more countryside, not to mention who's going to pay for it, aso, aso.
And going back to the 70's before de-regulation can't be compared to nowadays either, because the standard of living was lower then, and a lot less people could afford cars in those days, which meant public transport was more popular, and less cars on the roads too at that time.
To be honest, there is no answer that I can see.

Adding to and widening roads would not solve anything. It would just cause more congestion and more pollution as more people got in their cars. I think it really is the public transport system that needs improving and expanding, not the roadways.

Is THIS (http://www.pyr.ec.gc.ca/ep/airshed/auto_gridlock.jpg) really what you'd like to see? :(

Well, while were on the subject. . . . . . . I have to say I find it rather ironic the government preaches incessantly at us to use public transport/save the environment. . .and then provides the most inadequate public transport service I've ever experienced. I can't count how many times I've been stranded or waited for over an hour in the rain for a bus that never materialized.
And when I'm paying for tax disc, insurance ect anyways. . .it often works out much cheaper to take the car then paying some of the ridiculous train fares it costs me to get to A to B (see thread to the seaside walk).
Why doesn't the government save some money on it's ads telling us to be green and put some resources into actually making it possible to do so.This is my pet gripe too

Mr Strix and I do make use of public transport, despite being car owners, but having taken a recent public transport trip to London, we've been knocked out by the available services down there!

Whilstever every city outside London has to put up with privatley owned 'public' transport, we're never going to have a cohesive system that's a viable alternative to taking a car everywhere!

We rarely take the car into Sheffield as public transport is far more convenient for that trip, but having been invited for a meal a couple of Sundays ago, we found we'd either have to arrive about 2 hrs early for the event, or take the car :rolleyes:

We'd be more inclined to take the train for hiking in the Peaks if it weren't for the ludicrous connection times of a weekend :(

How do you feel about car-sharing Albert?
on the occasions we walked further afield with the walking group we usually picked somebody or other up along the way :)

That thread title could quite easily be misread. I was about to abuse you as I use public transport.........

This is my pet gripe too

Mr Strix and I do make use of public transport, despite being car owners, but having taken a recent public transport trip to London, we've been knocked out by the available services down there!

Whilstever every city outside London has to put up with privatley owned 'public' transport, we're never going to have a cohesive system that's a viable alternative to taking a car everywhere!

We rarely take the car into Sheffield as public transport is far more convenient for that trip, but having been invited for a meal a couple of Sundays ago, we found we'd either have to arrive about 2 hrs early for the event, or take the car :rolleyes:

We'd be more inclined to take the train for hiking in the Peaks if it weren't for the ludicrous connection times of a weekend :(

How do you feel about car-sharing Albert?
on the occasions we walked further afield with the walking group we usually picked somebody or other up along the way :)


I finished my posting with:- This thread will help you to find out more shortly.
The words of the initial paragraph came from the,' Rambler ' not me.

I'm going to start another one now, Hopefully to continue the intended mode of the thread.
All will be revealed shortly.

I finished my posting with:- This thread will help you to find out more shortly.
The words of the initial paragraph came from the,' Rambler ' not me.

I'm going to start another one now to do so.
All will be revealed shortly

Is this the link you are on about?

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/INFO/britain/transport.html

Ooooh! I had no idea your opening post contained a quote from somewhere! Interesting! Still, what I said before still stands.

:)

It's usual to credit the source when posting material 'lifted' from elsewhere - if for no reason other than to avoid accusations of breach of copyright ;)