I've gotten several requests for information on the best places in Asheville are to live if one wishes to use public transit as the primary means to get around town.

To answer these queries, and as a public service, I created a Google Map with shaded zones which represent areas I consider ideal living locations for access to the bus routes.

Here is the direct link to the map.

While most of Asheville gets excellent coverage, the zones I chose to highlight feature an exceptional combination of the following:

1. On time buses. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it's better to have a bus arrive once an hour that you can set your clock to - than more frequent service where there is some question as to when it will arrive.
2. Day and night service. If you can't get home at night, the usefulness of public transit is severely limited.
3. Walkable bus stops: Ideally, you don't want to be more than two blocks away from a good route.
4. Frequency. Notwithstanding point #1, I did take frequency into account.
5. Proximity to shopping. All highlighted areas feature easy access to a diverse range of shops and services.
6. Decent neighborhoods. Just because I didn't shade an area does not mean it's a slum. All it signifies is that it's a decent neighborhood and it met the above criteria.

Click the image below to go to the Google Map:

IMPORTANT NOTE: The map is a constant, ongoing work-in-progress. As the transit system evolves I'll update it to reflect new routes, park-and-rides and other features.

If you have suggestions for new zones or how to improve this map - feel free to leave comments or email me.

This post will document the changes to the map over time.

For the explanation behind the Brainshrub Bus Project, click here.

To see all posts for the Brainshrub Bus Project, click here.

Tags: Asheville - Public Transit - Asheville Transit - Bus - map - Google Map - Best places to live in Asheville if you want to use public transit.