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When Foothill Transit Doesn’t Quite Cut It: Jitneys!
By Centinel | May 20, 2008
A post long ago mentioned jitneys, an alternative to cabs and buses best known for making getting around Manila an utterly insane experience, and we’ve had some battles in the comments about private alternatives to public transportation. So, I thought it was appropriate to mention this fascinating article that popped up on Planetizen:
With gas prices topping $4 in parts of Miami, some are ditching their cars and jumping on the jitney.
The minibus transportation system, which first popped up in South Florida in the 1920s, has long been a cheap and dependable way to get around the city.
The jitney, the common name for a shared taxi, is appealing to some for several reasons. Unlike the bus, which has a fixed schedule, jitneys zoom by seemingly every five minutes. They have routes throughout the county, will make stops anytime you ask, and only cost $1 — a third cheaper than Metrobus.
And thanks to their size — slightly bigger than a van but smaller and quicker than the bus — jitneys can slip in and out of traffic, slicing the commute.
The full article is in the Miami Herald. I’m intrigued because I often thought that there have to be plenty of other ways besides buses, light rail, or trains, for people to commute. Quaere: Would you hop on a jitney? I would.
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Topics: Main Page, Transportation |
May 21st, 2008 at 7:54 am
A friend of mine told me about these.
I’d ride one.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:34 am
When did Roy Begley get here?
May 21st, 2008 at 12:08 pm
That type of thing that is all over Jo’berg So. Africa. I can’t remember what you call them. When one wrecks while (as the article says) “slipping in and out of traffic,” it’s not exactly a nice thing.