September 13, 2004
What I still like
I like most of the San Francisco’s public transportation system, even though I encountered an unhappy incident yesterday. Especially, I like three aspects.
First, the system is made well. We can live conveniently without cars. We have Streetcars, BART, ferries, and buses. They complement each other and provide a integrated service.
Streetcars are the back bone. I saw them at tourist attractions, residential areas, and the business district. BART goes suburbs. The airport became near thanks to it. Ferries are convenient in this city surrounded by the bay. And finally, bus routes fill spaces among those transportations
Second, those transportations are environment-friendly. Not only streetcars but also buses get power from electrical wires. In addition, they allow bikes. I can bring my bike into BART and ferries. Mmany buses have a bike rack in front of them.
Finally, the system uses old and new method wisely. Streetcars are an example of the old. They are still widely used, while in Japan, most of them have been abolished. Their appearance is also traditional. They are elegantly old. The city looks more elegant with them. However, using the old does not mean denying the new. New technologies are used wisely for our conveniences. One example is the latest pre-paid system of BART ticket machines.
It was a happy surprise for me to find this here in San Francisco. To be honest, I did not expect so much. My understanding was that infrastructures were tailored only to cars in the US. But for San Francisco, it was not the case.
However, I have one thing that I do not like. It is safety in the waiting place. I had a hard time about it. When I was waiting for a streetcar on the road, I was tenaciously asked money by a man. So I had no choice but giving up waiting.
By the way, I had my bike’s flat tire fixed at a bike shop. Now, it runs nimbler than before thanks to the air inflated to both tires.
The last week has started. I need to finish my projects within this week. After finishing them, I will explain to the CEO. I also need to start my internship report to JAIMS. It seems the week will be busy.
Posted by hfuruichi at September 13, 2004 11:59 PM