Alrighty, round 2 of Milford Transit, and the most painful one. Let’s get into it.
So we begin leaving the train station in traffic, as the bus is slowly easing through. Eventually it picks up and- OWW, FUCK, MY ARM! Holy FUCK, what an asshole! Why would ANYBODY put the bus operator in a situation where slamming the brake is needed?! Needless to say, my arm ached for the rest of the day. Operator’s fault? Not really, I’m pinning blame on the driver who made the operator do it. So, that aside, we then turned down a side street where it was all residential, eventually turning down East Broadway. But, that was a dead end.
So, since we reached a dead end, what did we do? Well, the operator kicked the bus into reverse, of course! It always feels weird when in a bus that needs to go into reverse. I mean, at least it wasn’t as high-stakes as at the Pettine ITC when I rode the 24X on RIPTA, where the risk of hitting another bus or a person was much higher. Anyways, we came back the way we came, taking the first side street. Going up Robert Treat Pkwy, and turning down Meadowside Rd., it was still residential until the cows came home.
So, we passed through an apartment complex, passing by another beach. Eventually, we turned up Joy Rd., and went the way we came, though up Maplewood Ave., passing by the high school and ending the loop at a shopping center.
The good: Well, it goes deep into suburbia! I mean, it’s probably not the most efficient thing, but it’s sure as hell good if you operate on a flag basis, as for some riders that might mean door-to-door service. Neat. It also serves a few shopping centers, as well as the high school. Also, it serves a few parks and beaches.
The bad: It’s very loopy (in spite of it being a loop, it loops on itself BEFORE reaching the train station), disorienting even. Broad St. traffic can also be bad.
Nearby points of interest: Walnut Beach and Silver Sands State Park are the big ones I can think of. There’s also a small shopping plaza with the remnants of an old Kmart here, which was being razed.
Overall, it’s a decent enough loop route. It’s got a consistent schedule (though can run a little late) and goes to places where people would want to go. Just be ready for the operator to slam the brake.
Rating: 6.5/10
