I get both sides of the public transportation. As a teen, I used to get around that way. Took an hour just to get downtown {in a car, just about ten minutes} then another 1/2 hour + to get anywhere else.
My sister had no car for years and had to spend hours every day to get to work. This includes going through parts of town where it was pretty dangerous. Once the bus was shot at {that I remember} and the bus driver ran and left the passengers on it!! She had to keep riding, though, to get to work. She read a lot of books.
So, I see both sides. Really needing to use it, however you can. But, the inconvenience of the times can sometimes be something you can't get over. I know it wouldn't work for me to get to work and also get my son to school.
I read somewhere that the bus routes to the more suburb areas are being cut down as they feel that it is more cost effective in the busier bustling areas? That sucks because not everyone who lives out here has a car, like the college student or teen. We have to walk quite a way to get to the bus stop and it isn't very frequent.
That $3 pass day pass. I was told it was $3 if we bought it from the front desk but more if we bought it from the machine. I thought it was a good deal but the Hubster didn't want to wait for it. In the end, the cost we were going to pay we put towards a parking pass so it worked out.