Bus Changes, Again, Finding a New "Pit Stop"

AKA Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #2

In an effort to keep the bus-riding public from going senile, a very important public service, Israel's Egged bus company has recently changed some of its most popular routes.  You must have read that being forced to learn new things keeps the mind young, so I have no doubt that these route changes, no matter how annoying are really "good for me."

For the past few years, even before the Jerusalem lightrail began to run its route, I've been traveling to Matan with a pit stop at the Jerusalem Municipality.  From there I'd walk to Shlomzion Hamalka or King David Street to take a bus 18, 49 or 13 or walk the entire way when time and weather permitted.  I can no longer do that, because the 18, the most frequent of those bus routes now travels on King George St. and Shlomzion Hamalka no longer has bus service.  Of course, if I get to Jerusalem early enough, I can still stop at the municipality and walk the entire way from there to Matan, but I haven't gotten in that early for a very long time.

Now I must take the train one more stop and then catch either the 18, 4 or 21 on the corner of Strauss Street and Jaffa Road.

And with the help of G-d and my bladder, I must make it safely to Gan Hapa'amon, the Liberty Bell Garden.

There are public toilets there.

The changes have also made the #18 a longer route for me, since it took over the Rachel Imenu detour from the #4.  The #18 still gets close to Matan than the #4, but the route is less direct.