Okay, so I'm fairly familiar with downtown Houston. I frequent it on the weekends, however, I don't spend too much time there during the week. I recently got a new job. It will require me to make the drive (I live outside the loop). Now, I know parking and all that junk can be a real pain. So, I ask of you, what would be the best option for me? Should I give the "park and ride" a shot, or should I just suck it up and pay for the parking daily (which, as you all know, is pretty damn expensive). Recommendations are strongly appreciated. Thanks!
Gives you a lot of free time to do what you want (i.e. catch up on sleep) instead of driving if you do the park and ride. Some companies will comp you for it too due to it being green.
I would personally do park and ride because you can relax on the way to work and the parking is much better. It depends on how far out you are coming from though. At some point it would be better to just hit a lot on the outskirts of downtown.
Public transport is great and all, but what about the chance of getting stabbed 45 times in the head by an Chinese dude while you are sleeping on the bus?
I've been doing the P&R thing since I started working downtown 8 months ago. I find it really relaxing - and the P&R customers aren't the people you normally associate with riding on the bus. The basterds did just raise the rates (they made fuel costs the excuse and now we have $2 gas), but I still prefer it to driving. The walk to and from the downtown bus stop has also helped me lose some weight. I spend most of the time on the bus reading or playing my PSP, so I get a little more me time, which is very cool. You also don't have to deal with maniacal drivers. The downside is that you are basically stuck downtown between 9 and 3. Hopefully you'll have some co-workers who drive so that they can take you to some lunch spots unreachable by foot. Oh, and monthly parking rates are probably a little cheaper than monthly bus costs - but you won't have to pay for gas and wear and tear on your car.
I park at the Toyota center Garage its 2$ all day parking. It's quite a hike for me but its the cheapest out there. It saves me two bucks a day which adds up over a year.
It has been a while since I worked downtown but I used to park close to 59 and it was less than a dollar a day.
Park and Ride is a completely different crowd than the other buses. If I worked downtown I'd do it in a heartbeat. I used to work in Bellaire and rode the bus there from N. Shepherd. It was more relaxing to take the hour bus ride than it was to make a 30 minute drive.
$2? Really? Well, I'll be working off of Milam. I just googled it and it says it's only a good 15 minute walk or so.
I live in Sugarland and commute to downtown everyday. I did the park and ride thing for about 6 months. Pros: Cheap, Always on time Cons: Gross when it rains. Seats get wet, and the wetness brings out the smells from others on the bus. I drive in now. The commute sucks, it costs more in gas and then theres the parking, but its nice and comfortable in one's own car. I have a contract with a garage, it costs around 80 a month, not too bad. There is an outdoor near my garage that costs 65 a month. Divided out by 22 days in a month and its not too bad.
I strongly recommend trying the P&R for a week to see if you like it. When I worked downtown, it was a lifesaver. It isn't for everybody because it depends how far you live from one and how difficult your commute to downtown is. But not having to park downtown, saving the mileage and wear & tear on my car (which made a HUGE difference for me) and being able to read, sleep, listen to my iPod or just vegetate on the way home while watching the poor saps in cars fight traffic, was priceless.
Another vote for PR. I would sleep in the morning and read on the way home. The bus ride was about 20 mins and it was a great way to decompress. I lived pretty close to the PR parking lot and from Mon-Fri, I drove a total of 40 miles. I got oil changes once every 6 months. If your building is connected to the tunnels, then you won't get wet. And if your building isn't, then you can still use to the tunnels to get closer to your office. I had a spare set of clothes in my office anyhow. There is also the Metro Guarantee Ride feature, but I have never used it. http://www.ridemetro.org/Services/Bus/GuaranteedRide.aspx
Ya I've been doing that a few months. Once or twice they had an event at the TC in the morning so it skyrocketed to 10 bucks but I just parked else where. I thought it might change once the rockets start but it hasnt yet 2 bucks not a bad deal.
Pardon my naivety, but I've got a few questions about the P&R. There's a location right near my place. How exactly does it work? Of course, I park my car there and wait for the bus. Is it usually on time? I'm looking through the metro site to see if I can find the pick up times, but it's so damn hard to navigate through. Help? The P&R I'm trying to find times for is on Fuqua.
If you decide to drive, from 45 and Fuqua, I would bet on about an hour to downtown. I have no idea the time it takes with the bus. Lately, even the HOV lane has been backed up, so you probably don't even save any time.
