public transportation?

Question

why is public transportation not accessible on weekends. i live less then 10 milles form downtown Minneapolis i have notices takeing a Bus on weekends is a joke on Sat. its very limited Sun. no service i myself dont take the bus but feel sorry for people that do.. i notice in other parts of Metro the seem to run more bues why dont the run same all over metro

Answer 1

In the USA public transportation is focused on commuters going back and forth to work at the "normal" times, and in some cases on the people traveling to special events (such as sporting events). Because of the cost, the schedules are severely restricted on evenings and weekends.

Most public transportation is subsidized by taxpayers. Seeing as there is not a great demand for evening and weekend service, the government is not willing to spend the money to run almost empty buses up and down the road.

In the USA there is a culture of personal automobile ownership and use. Other than in New York City, and some college towns, most people use automobiles for their transportation needs. Most of the people riding public transportation other than for commuting to work are people who can not afford a vehicle. The average taxpayer is not concerned about weekend and evening service, and does not see a reason to pay higher taxes to provide it.

Answer 2

I know! Today I waited 40 minutes for a MARTA (Atlanta's rapid-transit system) train. They are very reliable and punctual on weekdays, especially during rush hour, but on weekends the service leaves quite a bit to be desired. Maybe not enough people ride public transit on Saturday and Sunday to justify more bus and rail service.