Either by choice or not, many residents of large cities sooner or later wind up using public transit (bus or rail) to get around town. Being in that situation myself for the moment, I figure it’s time I share a few tricks and tips.
I happen to focus most of my examples on systems in Texas. I’ve gathered the information for systems outside of Houston from the agency Web sites.
The first is to know your system’s transfer policy. On Houston’s Metro system, the only way to transfer for free is to use a stored value smart card (Q Card) for fare payment, with the transfer being stored automatically on the card. Cash-paying riders are confined to one route or get to pay twice (or more). Some systems such as Via in San Antonio charge a small amount on top of the base fare for a transfer. Others such as Capital Metro in Austin do not issue transfers at all.
Many systems, especially ones like Capital Metro that do not offer transfers, usually do offer a day pass. If you plan to really ride around town this is an option well worth considering. Even for systems that do not offer a day pass, a weekly, monthly, or yearly pass may be available.
If you plan to ride frequently but not daily, a stored value card (if offered by your system) may be worth considering.
Most systems offer express or non-stop service, usually aimed at commuters. If time is of the essence and an express or non-stop route is available, it may be worth the higher fare.
Some systems have a zone-based fare system. Dallas’s DART and Fort Worth’s The T systems work similarly to one multi-zone system in practice, where riders have the option of a local or premium pass.
Do be aware that exact change requirements are the rule, not the exception. Take care of your transfer or day pass; usually these items must not be folded or torn. Take especially good care of longer timed passes; having to purchase a replacement for a damaged yearly pass could potentially be expensive.
And finally, this could save you a huge taxi fare bill: check and double-check the schedules for the routes you are riding. Nothing will ruin an otherwise good day like missing the last bus home, especially not knowing one has until after a long wait for a bus that’s not arriving.
