[sparkman55]

San Francisco has a "Jitney Bus" that attempts to correct the horrendous hole in transit between the Caltrain commuter rail and downtown.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/A-One-Man-Traffic-Buster-...

There is also a startup called Chariot that is building a private bus line to downtown SF; this one has a surprisingly different appeal than the ones in the article in NYC: the existing public Muni bus line from the Marina to downtown is notoriously slow and crowded, so perhaps commuting professionals would be willing to pay a little more...

[chrisseaton]

'horrendous hole'? Do you mean the 10-15 minute walk from Market Street to the Caltrain station?

[moultano]

Google lists it as a 20 minute walk, which is consistent with the last time I did it. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/San+Francisco+Caltrain+Stati...

I'd say adding 20 minutes each way to your commute is a pretty big deal.

[shiven]

Does it still take 10-15 mins when one is running a fever of 102? Or when walking on crutches? Or carrying a weekly load of groceries?

Just because you can walk does not mean everyone else should as well. There is nothing wrong with choice, public transport would be a welcome addition to almost every stretch of urban destinations, that does not curtail walking in any way, shape or form.

In short: Walk all you want, just gimme mah ride, is all.

[sparkman55]

Yep, that's the gap. It's about a mile from the commuter rail to downtown, and the public transit options between are quite slow. It's no wonder that private transportation startups abound in San Francisco.

I guess I'm spoiled by the well-interconnected transit systems in many international cities; step off the (high-speed) intercity rail and downstairs into the core of a robust subway system, or walk to the bus terminal next door.

San Francisco once had such an intermodal transit hub in the Transbay Terminal; the city is seeking $2.5 Billion to rebuild it.

Until then, we'll have to rely on private transportation like the 'dollar cabs' described in the article, or San Francisco's very own Lyft and Uber.

[_delirium]

Have you considered the other popular transit option in international cities, riding a bike? In Copenhagen you do not cover 2km distances by Lyft, Uber, or a bus, because 2km is such a trivial distance you just bike it yourself in a few minutes. And yes, even if you have two kids and groceries with you— because cargo bikes are common and easy (http://daneshea.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_10731.jpg).

[sparkman55]

Yes! Caltrain is actually very accommodating to bicyclists, with no extra charge for bikes and special bike cars (that are often full at peak hours).

I personally bike about a mile to a train station in Palo Alto, and about a mile from Caltrain to the office in San Francisco.

However, San Francisco has some fundamental problems that make it less hospitable to biking than Copenhagen. It is notoriously hilly, and doesn't have the awesome protected bike tracks that Copenhagen has.

[_delirium]

> protected bike tracks

I recently ran across a hard-to-believe, but as far as I can tell, accurate statistic: the Copenhagen metropolitan area has more miles of protected bike lanes than the entire United States combined does. That is somewhat surprising, since the Copenhagen metro area isn't really all that big.

[sparkman55]

It's not quite the same thing, but Palo Alto (suburban San Francisco) has been turning side streets into 'bike boulevards' that are inconvenient to drive on, and therefore safer to bike on. Roundabouts, signage and even bollards to block car through-traffic all serve to make these side streets quite pleasant bike corridors.

[jonemo]

> Caltrain is actually very accommodating to bicyclists

Unless they leave you stranded because they are "full" of bikes. Like most non-local trains during rush hour.

[icebraining]

Cargo bikes seem great if you're doing the whole trip in them, but not really appropriate for a trip that involves using a light rail or bus as well, like Caltrain.

[moultano]

Typically you don't have to do that just to transfer from one train system to another.

[dredmorbius]

It's quite the hike. Covered in varying weather conditions. Not nearly as bad as either the heat of the deep south or the cold of the northeast, but rain or just the fog and humidity plus walk make for a damp experience.

Worse is trying to rush the distance catching one of the hourly-only off-peak trains. Or having to carry anything other than a light bag the distance.

[elcaminoreal]

Wow - do Americans really consider a 20 minute stroll to be going for a hike? That's incredible.

[dredmorbius]

It really depends on the circumstances.

If you're 1) rushed (have places to be / people to see / work to do), 2) the weather's poor, 3) you're female (the area's improved but it's still not the best side of town), 4) you're risking a 60+ minute wait if you miss the train, etc., it's not particularly pleasant.

Walking a similar distance along a different or safer route, where I've got the time to wander, or where transit service is such that I've only a few minutes wait (or as is more likely the case on much of Muni in SF: you've simply no idea and the wait may be anywhere from 10 seconds to hours), the situation's not so bad.

But miss your CalTrain connection and you're 30-60 miles from home in a part of town with not much to offer. Though that too is getting somewhat better with the ballpark and revitalization going on.

[lilsunnybee]

Like another poster mentioned walking for 20 minutes in high heat and high humidity (like 100 deg F - 38 deg C - and 80% humidity, not uncommon at all in the South) can be a pretty unpleasant and sweaty affair, especially in dress clothes.

Some people are limited mobility as well (like the elderly), and/or especially vulnerable to heat and inclement weather.

It's a little offensive to generalize about "Americans" as a whole, especially based on the comments of exactly 1 person, so please don't. 300+ million people live here, with often very different customs and practices, of different social classes, ethnicities, beliefs and worldviews, and living in many different geographies. It's not as diverse as all of Europe, but not even close to homogenous and easily generalized either.

[epaladin]

Luckily not everyone. I've never used public transport in my suburban sprawl city in upstate NY, but luckily the roads are of moderate size, so I can do crazy (for America) things like walk/bike/run the nine miles to work, or even walk to the airport (seven miles, did it last week, only needed to bring a backpack so it wasn't too bad). I'd move to Portland for the bike-friendliness, but there's no biotech scene there yet (anyone want to help start one?).

[zem]

not everyone finds it easy to walk that distance, or would like to do so at 11 in the night.