Tips for Navigating Public Transit
- Kimi's Travel Thoughts
- Sep 16
- 6 min read
When I moved to Austin 10 years ago, I did not have a car and suddenly found myself relying more heavily on public transportation to get around. I grew up in a part of the Houston area where public transit services were basically nonexistent. Although I was excited about the opportunity to figure out how get around Austin without a personal vehicle, I was also a little nervous because the only other times I took public transportation were on trips where someone else figured out navigating public transit for me.
How did I learn the different ways to get around Austin using CapMetro or other forms of public transportation? Well, it required quite a bit of research and just walking around to see what I could potentially use. This process took some time and required patience. However, for people who need to figure out how to navigate public transportation with less time to spare, I'm offering the following tips to help you get off to a quick start on using public transit services.
Expand Your View of What is Considered "Public Transportation"
The mostly likely thing that comes to mind when some says "public transportation" is a city bus line. This is a common and very popular form of public transportation. However, there are numerous other forms of public transportation. Public transit means that the method of transportation is considered widely available and mostly accessible to the general public for free or with purchase. In addition to buses, commercial planes, trains, ferries, cruises, taxis, bikes, scooters, trams, light rails, ZipCar carsharing, traditional rental cars, subways, and trolleys are all examples of the various forms of public transportation that people can use. Depending on the location, you may only have access to a small number of such public transit options or nearly all of them. If you're not in a rush to get from one place to the next or want to find the most budget-friendly ways for getting around, I recommend exploring all available methods of public transportation.
Using Google Maps for Public Transit Navigation
Naturally, many people will use a navigation application to see the different routes that can be taken get from one location to a specific destination. Personally, I use Google Maps as my starting point for determining the distance and time it would take to travel to my destination. There are options to see routes for traveling by car, bike, walking, and even public transit. These types of maps can be beneficial as a primary source of information or as an option to initially guide your search as you work to identify the best or preferred method for getting around.
Public Transit Phone Apps for Navigation
When I know for sure that I am planning to use public transportation to move about a city or region, I am quick to use an app on my phone that is specifically designed for learning more about transit options. This could include the local public transit app for Austin (CapMetro), but there are other phone applications that can be used to achieve the same goal.
My personal favorite is an app called Transit. It's the app that I primarily use in Austin and I relied on the app when I was interning in Canada. I even used it during a short trip to Washington, DC a couple of years ago. The app uses GPS to determine my location and shows a very accurate estimated time for the next closest form of public transit to arrive or depart from a nearby station. It even provides estimates of how long it will take to walk to a particular station and gives walking directions. While the app is incredibly helpful in its free version, you can choose to pay for upgraded route information if your local public transit service has not made the upgrade free for you.
Another app that I have is BCycle. Remember how I mentioned bikes as a form of public transportation? Well, bike rental programs are an example of what I meant by that and BCycle is one of many bike rental programs that exist. A couple of years ago, I spent a weekend hanging out in Fort Worth, TX with my sister and we decided to rent bikes to ride around a park in the city. I simply downloaded the app and followed instructions to begin renting a bike. In the case that I'm in another city with BCycle, I can change the location within the app and rent a bike where available. Other bike rental programs may be hosted by public transit services. For example, CapMetro in Austin has its own bike rental program with bike stations anchored around the downtown area. This doesn't even factor in the Lime bikes and scooters along with all the other similar rental services that require a phone application to use. If you want to rent a bike (or scooter) in your destination, you might have several options to choose from!
Purchase the Best Public Transit Ticket, Pass, or Card for You
One of the more complicated things about using public transit is determining what type of ticket or pass you will need. If you only need a one-way ride or maybe even roundtrip, it might be easier to just get tickets for your public transportation needs. I did this in the past when taking an evening trip into New York City from New Jersey on the train. Day passes are great if you only need to rely on public transit services for about a day. It's something that can be really useful if you plan to take day trips to different cities like I do. If you will be somewhere for several days, I would recommend getting a metrocard for the local transit. You can use a card as many times as needed and it's reloadable.
While on the topic of metrocards, I want to point out that not all cards have to be acquired physically. The wallet app on your phone can be used to purchase a digital metrocard! You can add cards from around the global and replenish as needed while you travel about a particular region. It's important to note that the digital metrocard option is much more widely available in countries that are not the United States. If traveling in the U.S., this option only works for Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Washington DC National Capital Region. I used a digital card during my trip to Washington DC. The digital metrocard wasn't an option back when I was interning in Canada. Otherwise, I would've taken advantage of a digital PRESTO card to get around the Greater Toronto Area all summer. However, I will absolutely be using that when I eventually return to Toronto -- mostly because I have no idea where my physical card is and that card was set up to only go between my apartment and work!
Final Thoughts on Public Transit
As you can see, there are numerous options for public transit to use globally and the availability of these transportation methods will vary by location. I couldn't cover the details of every public transportation method in this blog post, but I hope these tips provided some insight that will encourage you to consider using public transit services to get around while you travel and help you feel more confident in your ability to navigate the systems and routes. Technology has made all of this an easier activity and reduces the need for physical maps or cards to get around. So, I highly recommend using that technology to explore using public transit services to get around and see the city or region of your destination.
My final tip in this post is to always keep your personal safety in mind when riding public transit. That can be a bit difficult when in a city you have never spent much (if any) time in before, but researching routes and stops ahead of time can help you be more prepared. If there is ever a time when you don't feel like public transportation is in your best interests, use a different transportation method. I do that all the time and it's okay for you to do it, too!
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