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Comment by josephcsible | Hacker News Reader

> How about the World Trade Center to Yankee Stadium. Driving is 32 min with a $9 toll, or 38 min with no toll. Subway is 31 min with $3 fare.

When I checked that route just now, I saw 31 minutes driving with a toll, 35 minutes driving without a toll, and 42 minutes on the subway. And even with your numbers, that's very, very far from the 2 hours vs. 20 minutes that was originally claimed.

> And this is a Sunday afternoon, I’m sure the drive gets dramatically worse on a weekday.

When I set a departure time of tomorrow at 5pm, it says 41 minutes on the subway and a range of 30-60 minutes for driving. (Still not even close to 2 hours vs. 20 minutes.)

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It says 42 minutes via subway because you have to walk to the station and wait a few minutes for the next subway. Plus if you were driving, you’d of course need to park at the destination (either expensive or time-consuming, possibly both).

> It says 42 minutes via subway because you have to walk to the station and wait a few minutes for the next subway.

Google doesn't seem to count the time of waiting for the next subway train. It looks like they give you a departure time a few minutes in the future, such that if you leave then, you'll arrive just in time for the train. Since most people probably won't cut it that close, doesn't that mean it will probably take even longer than Google suggests? In particular, longer enough to counteract the time spent parking if you drive?

> Google doesn't seem to count the time of waiting for the next subway train.

Pretty sure it does. My understanding is that it computes the time simply as (estimated_end_time - start_time), and it determines the estimated_end_time as whenever you would reach your destination, which accounts for train schedules and walking time.

> Since most people probably won't cut it that close...

At least in NYC, IME people did cut it that close because during regular hours (that actually extend pretty late into the evening) the frequency is high enough that if you miss a train you only need to wait a few minutes for the next one.

The other thing that has not been mentioned so far in this sub-thread (but maybe elsewhere) is that public transport is very relaxing. Even if it's crowded and you have to stand, you can use your smartphone because there is wireless reception on the subway.

And if you consider the madness that is driving in NYC traffic, there is no comparison. It's maddening even just sitting in a rideshare. I'm surprised you're seeing driving times being comparable. I'm actually doubting the Google Maps estimates, which are usually rock solid.

> My understanding is that it computes the time simply as (estimated_end_time - start_time), and it determines the estimated_end_time as whenever you would reach your destination, which accounts for train schedules and walking time.

It does do that. But it moves start_time into the future, and that's what makes it not count the time of waiting for the train.

I see what you mean, Google Maps recommends you start at a given time to get to the train it expects you to catch, accounting for walking time. I've only ever seen the start_time be a couple minutes in the future during regular hours (due to the aforementioned frequency of trains) so it's been very negligible.

> The other thing that has not been mentioned so far in this sub-thread (but maybe elsewhere) is that public transport is very relaxing.

No it’s not. In NYC it’s crowded, loud, and full of weirdos. You often have to stand and can’t get a seat. You have to really get good at tuning everything out. Meanwhile, driving (especially with supervised self driving or even modern adaptive cruise control and lane keeping) is quieter, has better climate control, and you can listen to a podcast or music without headphones.

Matter of personal preference I suppose. I don't mind standing, the crowds were manageable, and in a decade+ of getting around in the NY/NJ public transit system I only ever recall a handful of "weirdos" and they always kept to themselves.

On the other hand, I still have nightmares of being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic cursing the circumstances that forced me to take a car instead of public transit. I didn't even have a car the last 5 years I lived there, saved a decent amount in parking fees too.

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