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Public transportation is meant to be a city's circulatory system. Not only does it get people around without the need for a private vehicle, but it also cuts emissions by reducing the number of cars on the road. This has earned public transit many fans, including William Hui. The Canadian engineer set a challenge for himself and traveled from his hometown of Vancouver to Tijuana, Mexico, using only public buses and trains.
Hui has worked for TransLink, Vancouver's transit agency, for over a decade. However, his fascination with public transit began before that. Curious about the “behind-the-scenes” logistics of designing routes and getting places on time, Hui set out to test the many transit systems around the Pacific Coast area, particularly those that serve rural communities.
To complete his challenge, he had a set of rules, the most important of which was that all transport be freely available to the public—so, no Amtrak, Greyhound, Flixbus, or Ubers. He also tried to keep walking at a minimum, with the limit being 15 to 30 minutes on foot. Still, Hui reported that there were no situations where he had to walk significant distances between bus stops.
In total, it took Hui nine days to complete his journey. He spent a total of about $200 on bus tickets alone, plus the nine nights of accommodation. But to him, the views were priceless. “I was absolutely amazed by the Oregon coastline when I passed through central Oregon,” he shares with BBC. He also noted being “awestruck by the redwoods” as he traveled through northern California.
This wasn't Hui's first attempt at traveling south using only public transit. He first gave it a go in 2013; however, he wasn't able to make it south of Salem, Oregon. This time, the game changer was a new bus route by the Humboldt Transit Authority in Northern California that brought him to a city just two hours north of San Francisco.
“Once I knew I could get to San Francisco, I knew I could make it to Mexico,” he tells Thrillist. Hui also noticed that more public transit buses are now equipped with WiFi and accept card payments.
While Hui knows this kind of adventure is not for everyone, he hopes this endeavor improves the public perception of transit, especially given how many people depend on it.
“It was just remarkable to see how the different services connected, especially in rural areas,” Hui added. “And I’ve been saying this to folks who have asked: I was really there for the journey, not so much the destination.”
Canadian engineer William Hui traveled from his hometown of Vancouver to Tijuana, Mexico, using only public buses and trains.
To complete his challenge, he had a set of rules, the most important of which was that all transport be freely available to the public—so, no Amtrak, Greyhound, Flixbus, or Ubers.
It took Hui nine days to complete his journey. He spent about $200 on bus tickets alone, plus nine nights of accommodation. But to him, the views were priceless.
h/t: [BBC]
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