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Comment by angmarsbane | Hacker News Reader

Yes! When the Expo line opened in Los Angeles I restricted my job search to companies accessible via the line.

I chose my next job because it was accessible via the Ballona Creek bike path and buses (though the 2 buses made a 20 min drive take an 1hr+).

My current job is a shorter bus trip and a shorter bike ride. I'm not willing to drive 1-2 hrs one-way to work. I want time to be a part of my community, to have hobbies, to do more than drive, eat, sleep, work and to get that time I need a short commute.

If a long commute limits my existence to drive, eat, half hour couch potato, and sleep than the job is not worth it.

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What if the Expo line goes down? There could be a strike, a suicide on the tracks, some other sort of wreak, track maintenance, etc.

Roads are highly redundant. You can route around almost anything.

Also, why not move to the job? That is the huge win for shortening a commute.

What if there is a crash on the highway? What if your car breaks down? What if have a medical emergency and cannot drive?

"Roads are highly redundant. You can route around almost anything."

Crash on the highway: pick a different road

Car breaks down: rent one (BTW, not scalable to a mass transit strike)

Medical emergency and cannot drive: call for an ambulance

Not sure where you live, but "pick a different road" doesn't really work for 99% of the country.

I can't wait to pick a different Bay Bridge

Well, you're commuting too far, but anyway: San Mateo has a bridge, you can go via San Jose, and you can go via Marin County.

Even the Bay Bridge is seldom 100% out. It has multiple lanes, unlike a typical rail line.

This is what you need: https://www.watercar.com/

You HAVE a different Bay Bridge. It cost us $8 billion. You damn well had better like it.

Transit systems can run backup buses on the roads when the trains are down for a significant amount of time.

Which they regularly do.

See: LA Gold Line for the nth time that a Big Rig smashes through the center divider and rests on the tracks.

I mean, life happens. If metro goes down there are buses, ride share, e-scooters, and walking if I'm close enough.

Life happens with autos too, there are accidents, flats, running out of gas/engine won't start, road closures, one time my apt garage door was broken and I couldn't get my car out.

I am all about moving closer to jobs. In fact, I do live close. From my apt to my old office in SM it was 6.5 miles, to drive that could be an hour. Gridlock is awful within cities even in short distances.

> What if the Expo line goes down?

Then there'd presumably be a bus replacement service for the few days until they got it running again? I don't remember any of Dublin's mass transit systems going down for more than a couple of days.

Track maintenance, incidentally, is normally done on weekends and/or late at night to minimise disruption.

You sound like someone whose never driven in Los Angeles during rush hour on the westside. It's not too uncommon that every single road is completely jammed.

This actually happens a lot, they usually just run a bus to substitute. But it can suck sometimes because it adds a lot to a commute. One time I biked 20 miles because the train was delayed for 90 minutes after someone parked their car on the tracks. Bicycles and public transportation are like peas and carrots =)

I don't suppose you'll see this because it's pretty old by now but:

> why not move to the job? That is the huge win for shortening a commute.

it is, but it's a huge loss as far as making your kids change schools and make new friends.

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