4 ms·

Ok well the article is about eliminating cars within cities, so why the non-sequitur? edit: Regarding your point about commuting from extremely outlying "subur

by joeyo 17y ago

Ok well the article is about eliminating cars within cities, so why the non-sequitur? edit: Regarding your point about commuting from extremely outlying "suburbs"--Richmond is over 100 mi from DC!--I agree that such insanity is only "sustainable" with the automobile[1]. This is why as our cities start to invert (again!) with the more desirable areas tending towards the center and the outlying suburbs becoming less and less desirable, it is important that we develop good regional rail links. 1. I note, however, that Fredericksburg, which is a "mere" 50 miles from DC has VRE service. It may even be possible to commute from Richmond to DC via Amtrak, but I'm not sure of their schedules or if a reasonable person would want to attempt that.

erlanger 17y ago
There's no non-sequiter. Cities are not exclusively for city-dwellers, they support a sprawling metropolitan area that relies on cars.
randallsquared 17y ago
I note, however, that Fredericksburg, which is a "mere" 50 miles from DC has VRE service. I live in the DC metro area, and I don't currently have a car, and I'm keenly aware of how it limits my options. I use the bus and metro to get to work in downtown DC from Gaithersburg, MD, and it's just at the edge of bearable for a limited time. I spend about 3 hours a day on public transit, and from Fredericksburg, VA, it would be even worse, unless I lived across the street from the VRE station. With a car, you get ready to go, and then you go. Without a car, you get ready to go, and then you either go wait by the bus stop, or you try to time yourself to get to the bus stop just a few minutes before it arrives. This mostly works, but it's certainly more trouble (and I say this as someone who has a bus stop directly in front of my apartment building; it isn't as if I even have to walk a few blocks to the bus, and it's still a pain). Going to the store is a project involving planning and giving up the evening to it, rather than something you can do just before your evening activities. Going anywhere else is something I nearly always have to put off until the weekend, since I leave for work before 7:30 AM and get home about 7:30 PM. If I used a car, I could do those things on the way home (though since I live so far out, I still wouldn't get home much earlier).
- erlanger 17y ago
  I commuted from Fredericksburg to Reston for a little while last year. VRE->Alexandria(Blue)->Rosslyn(Transfer)->West Falls Church(Orange)->my bus. Minimum 2.5 hours each way. I had to do it for a week until I could afford new tires for my car, and driving cut my commute in half. I couldn't have kept up that commute, and I only had to do it for a month before I could afford to move back to DC. The worst part about mass transit are the time restrictions. If you miss the narrow time slot for your route (assuming it isn't used heavily enough to warrant 24-hour service), you're screwed and have to take a cab, which I'd say runs about $40 per $5 of mass transit.

by joeyo 17y ago

erlanger 17y ago

There's no non-sequiter. Cities are not exclusively for city-dwellers, they support a sprawling metropolitan area that relies on cars.

randallsquared 17y ago

I note, however, that Fredericksburg, which is a "mere" 50 miles from DC has VRE service. I live in the DC metro area, and I don't currently have a car, and I'm keenly aware of how it limits my options. I use the bus and metro to get to work in downtown DC from Gaithersburg, MD, and it's just at the edge of bearable for a limited time. I spend about 3 hours a day on public transit, and from Fredericksburg, VA, it would be even worse, unless I lived across the street from the VRE station. With a car, you get ready to go, and then you go. Without a car, you get ready to go, and then you either go wait by the bus stop, or you try to time yourself to get to the bus stop just a few minutes before it arrives. This mostly works, but it's certainly more trouble (and I say this as someone who has a bus stop directly in front of my apartment building; it isn't as if I even have to walk a few blocks to the bus, and it's still a pain). Going to the store is a project involving planning and giving up the evening to it, rather than something you can do just before your evening activities. Going anywhere else is something I nearly always have to put off until the weekend, since I leave for work before 7:30 AM and get home about 7:30 PM. If I used a car, I could do those things on the way home (though since I live so far out, I still wouldn't get home much earlier).

erlanger 17y ago
I commuted from Fredericksburg to Reston for a little while last year. VRE->Alexandria(Blue)->Rosslyn(Transfer)->West Falls Church(Orange)->my bus. Minimum 2.5 hours each way. I had to do it for a week until I could afford new tires for my car, and driving cut my commute in half. I couldn't have kept up that commute, and I only had to do it for a month before I could afford to move back to DC. The worst part about mass transit are the time restrictions. If you miss the narrow time slot for your route (assuming it isn't used heavily enough to warrant 24-hour service), you're screwed and have to take a cab, which I'd say runs about $40 per $5 of mass transit.