Major bases with best public trasnportation
 

Looking for feedback on which bases have the best options for public transportation to the airport, i.e. metro/subway/etc. Also if you know of future planned expansions of the public transportation for certain cities.

Looking ahead at potential basing options and where would be one of the easier places to commute in from the burbs. Also extremely subjective but curious what factors folks value in making a domicile more attractive infrastructure wise. Thanks!

NDP

I think people pick based on where they want to live. But anyway, I commute to Boston but tons of locals do the train to the airport or one of the many buses that run direct to outlying towns. They aren't round the clock but something like 4am to midnight. So there's tons of options for people.

The NYC and Chicago airports all have good options for mass transit.

Boston is hard to beat in my opinion as far as public transit options. The MBTA subway is good if you live close in the metro Boston area, and there is a myriad of scheduled bus options for surrounding areas.

Here is a link with the BOS bus services:
https://www.massport.com/logan-airpo...ransportation/

Public transportation in Boston is great unless it snows. But it never snows in Boston so don't worry about that. ;)

I nominate LAX for the worst public transportation. If you want to take a train to the airport to avoid traffic you take the train to downtown LA and then conveniently transfer to a bus .........................that gets stuck in traffic.

But hey there is hope, CA is spending untold billions building a slick new high speed rail starting with the often traveled Bakersfield to Fresno route. :eek:

Meanwhile the only way to get to LAX besides flying is driving - brilliant.

Scoop :cool:

Miami has a doable train.

If you are open to living in an urban but very "neighborhood-ey" environment then Chicago is without a doubt one of the best. Most of the neighborhoods worth looking at are an easy bus ride to the blue line or along the blue line itself. Oddly, the suburbs around O'hare are not as easily connected to the airport. Go figure.

If you are looking at the total package and not just the ride to the airport, Chicago is, without a doubt, one of the easiest cities to get around via public transit. Cheap, reliable (yes, even in the snow), efficient and reasonably clean.

ATL has MARTA. Don't forget your kevlar.

DFW and DAL are both excellent now between Dart Rail and Uber.

Getting to SFO on BART is easy if you live near a station, and OAK is almost as easy (gotta transfer at least once).

ORD is probably your best bet. If you want a "Suburby" feel, you can live in Jefferson Park and actually buy a nice 3br home for $300,000. Safe area too because Edison Park, Jefferson Park and pretty much all the "parks" out towards O'Hare is where all the CPD and CFD people live, along with city workers. A requirement in Chicago, as a city worker, is you must live within the city boundaries.

Except the BART doesn't run 24 hours. The schedule:
BART Weekday Airport Service Hours
4:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.

BART Weekend Airport Service Hours
Sat: 6:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Sun: 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.


So if your flight gets delayed, you're spending at least $40 for an Uber. Which shouldn't be that big of a problem if your rent is already $3000/mo for a 1br

How about OAK to SFO? I end a trip in OAK on Saturday night and want to take an eastbound red eye home out of SFO.

BART station right outside terminal 1 in OAk.. No idea of the schedule or connections. But from what I've been told, very easy.

True, however driving is a breeze during those off hours (I expect a number of other transit systems shut down as well). Like other things in the Bay Area, BART is a bit pricey - more than an hour and $10 one way from distant stations.

Fly6584 - OAK to SFO before midnight should be easy, just allow a solid hour to get there.

DFW and DAL aren't too bad. DART parking is free and it only costs $2.50 each way to ride the train in. You'll land at the A concourse at DFW and have to catch a connecting van to DAL or grab an Uber for a couple of bucks.

I wouldn't recommend parking overnight in any of the DART parking lots. DART doesn't allow parking overnight at any of their park and ride lots except for the Parker Road Station.

I would say Detroit has the best trasnportation. Not near DTW but fly to city airport, go about 3 blocks any direction. You will be transported to a whole new world.

Narita or Haneda, both have a great public transport system....!

You're going to choose where you live based on public transportation to the airport for your once or twice a week commute...?

I'll bite, Denver, I don't use public transportation, but my 40 mile drive from the southwest suburbs, ten minute employee bus ride, walk through KCM, train to the A concourse takes 1 hour and 5 minutes. Of course then I have a 3 hour flight to PHL, where I'm based.

I'll second Chicago. The blue line runs 24/7. The region wants to build an express Metra train from downtown, which would be most excellent as well.

I also like Boston because of the Silver Line (bus) with direct access to South Station. The blue line also serves the airport but that requires a bus transfer as well.

JFK and EWR are good, but I don't like the slow cramped monorail at EWR. LGA doesn't have anything but they are planning a people mover to the 7 subway and one of the LIRR stations.

DFW is decent but the Orange Line takes awhile and it would only be convenient if you lived along the Orange Line. There are plans to build a commuter train to Fort Worth though.


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DCA/BWI/IAD isn't bad depending on where you live. I commuted by metro for over 8 years to DCA. Only issue is the train closes at midnight during the week and doesn't open until 5am. Otherwise you are mostly covered for mass transit.

MARC train connects you between BWI and the DC metro for only $6. IAD will soon have a metro that goes all the way to downtown. But for now you can get there by bus or Marc train.

It's the towing fee from the dart lot that stings

Other cities off the top of my head with direct rail access:

MIA, MSP, SLC, DEN (2016), PHX, SEA, PDX, PHL, MDW, ATL, CLE, MKE, BUR

Tri-rail serves FLL and PBI with a bus connection. If All Aboard Florida gets built, MCO will have it too.