In message ,
Tom Anderson writes

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005, Paul Terry wrote:

Two sets of friends in North Yorks ("one bus a week on Thursdays") still
cannot get over the fact that despite being 8 miles from the centre of
London, we have buses every 3 minutes in the peak, every 5 minutes
off-peak,

Sounds like where i live.

and night buses stopping within short walking distance every 10 minutes
throughout the night.

Okay, now that's impressive; i take it there are three routes, each coming
every half-hour?

Yes.

You must live in a fairly significant suburban centre.

I live in a London borough that I think claims a higher proportion of
open space than any other (Richmond).

Having said all that, I fully understand why folk in outer suburban and
rural areas could hardly exist without a bus

ITYM 'car', no?

Oops, yes!

- there has to be some sort of critical mass to tip the balance towards
public transport.

Indeed. In my old 'hood, on a sunday, there is nominally 0.5 bph from the
town railway station to my village, and the arrival time is more or less
random.

--
Paul Terry