Transportation is always one of the big things you should consider, may it be just traveling or moving to a new place. Oh, especially here in America. Having a car is always a must. Although, you need to consider the gas prices. It has been bipolar lately, but it still depends on what state you're at. Before we moved, the price at AZ was around $3.10 per gallon. Here, it is at the most $3.60. Big difference.
Anyway, back when I was in Arizona, the modes of transportation are very limited. It was very simple. If you don't have a car, the choices you have left is either you take the bus aka Valley Metro or walk. Not to forget, their bus routes are indeed very confusing. Although I haven't exactly experienced it before, based on my mom's stories, it took them about 30 minutes just to reach their destination, including waiting time. And originally, it would have only took them 10 mins max. Buses do not just come constantly or anytime you want. (You know, like in the Philippines, everywhere you look, buses are always on the go?) In Arizona, there are schedules, and they only pass through specific avenues or roads. The good thing, however, is that if you are riding your own bike and out of the blue you decided that you want to ride the bus instead, there's actually a specific area in front of the bus where your bikes could be put at.
School-wise, I'm pretty sure you're aware of those huge yellow school buses you see in the movies (or the Magic School Bus). Well, yes, those are the buses we use. Let me compare our system with Philippines' again. In the Philippines, all the school buses out there have their door-to-door services. By that I mean, picking and dropping you off right from your door. On the other side of the world, America have certain bus stops where you need to wait to be picked up, depending on where you live. Although you are a bus rider, there are some circumstances wherein you still need to walk (typically short distances) to your actual home. Again, there is always a good side. The good side to this is that you don't need to pay to be able to ride the bus from home to school and vice versa. Convenient, right?
Since we moved to Maryland (I will be talking about our big move in a separate article), other types of transportation are added. One is the MARC train, similar to our MRTs and LRTs. From my mother and brother's experience, they shared to me that rarely anyone rides the train. There is a something called park-and-ride. You can bring your car to one of these facilities, park your car for a day there, for a fee of course, and take the transit. Because of this accommodation, some apply for jobs at Washington, D.C. because it isn't a big struggle anymore. Secondly is the water taxi. This is available on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The thing is, based on my research, it costs $7 for just one-way. Unless you live or always tour around the area, it's not going to be worth paying up to $250.
The normal taxis are available. As a well-know fact, it is most available on New York. It's different around the other states. You won't typically see taxis roaming around the roads, looking for customers. And in addition, they're usually bright-colored like yellow and neon green. It is not the most recommended since a call is needed to call for a cab; only if you need a ride to the airport. You also pay a base fee plus additional for every mile. It could get a little too heavy for the pocket.
So, when you are planning a trip to the United States, always check first what kinds of transportation are available in that state. If in case everything is a bit scheduled and you're in a tight itinerary, I would just recommend renting a car. And, never forget to bring a GPS. It's very easy to get lost around here.
Anyway, back when I was in Arizona, the modes of transportation are very limited. It was very simple. If you don't have a car, the choices you have left is either you take the bus aka Valley Metro or walk. Not to forget, their bus routes are indeed very confusing. Although I haven't exactly experienced it before, based on my mom's stories, it took them about 30 minutes just to reach their destination, including waiting time. And originally, it would have only took them 10 mins max. Buses do not just come constantly or anytime you want. (You know, like in the Philippines, everywhere you look, buses are always on the go?) In Arizona, there are schedules, and they only pass through specific avenues or roads. The good thing, however, is that if you are riding your own bike and out of the blue you decided that you want to ride the bus instead, there's actually a specific area in front of the bus where your bikes could be put at.School-wise, I'm pretty sure you're aware of those huge yellow school buses you see in the movies (or the Magic School Bus). Well, yes, those are the buses we use. Let me compare our system with Philippines' again. In the Philippines, all the school buses out there have their door-to-door services. By that I mean, picking and dropping you off right from your door. On the other side of the world, America have certain bus stops where you need to wait to be picked up, depending on where you live. Although you are a bus rider, there are some circumstances wherein you still need to walk (typically short distances) to your actual home. Again, there is always a good side. The good side to this is that you don't need to pay to be able to ride the bus from home to school and vice versa. Convenient, right?
Since we moved to Maryland (I will be talking about our big move in a separate article), other types of transportation are added. One is the MARC train, similar to our MRTs and LRTs. From my mother and brother's experience, they shared to me that rarely anyone rides the train. There is a something called park-and-ride. You can bring your car to one of these facilities, park your car for a day there, for a fee of course, and take the transit. Because of this accommodation, some apply for jobs at Washington, D.C. because it isn't a big struggle anymore. Secondly is the water taxi. This is available on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The thing is, based on my research, it costs $7 for just one-way. Unless you live or always tour around the area, it's not going to be worth paying up to $250. 
The normal taxis are available. As a well-know fact, it is most available on New York. It's different around the other states. You won't typically see taxis roaming around the roads, looking for customers. And in addition, they're usually bright-colored like yellow and neon green. It is not the most recommended since a call is needed to call for a cab; only if you need a ride to the airport. You also pay a base fee plus additional for every mile. It could get a little too heavy for the pocket.
So, when you are planning a trip to the United States, always check first what kinds of transportation are available in that state. If in case everything is a bit scheduled and you're in a tight itinerary, I would just recommend renting a car. And, never forget to bring a GPS. It's very easy to get lost around here.
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