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If you include all modes I think both Phoenix and Houston could give Atlanta a run for its money
Unfortunately with all modes considered ATL is still ahead in total ridership.
, people haven't been answering the question of car free lifestyle. For all three it depends on where you live.
Atl is the only one you can do everything by rail. The other two you need rail, bus or combination of the two. So in atl it is easier, for example going to the airport, but still possible in the other two.
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Other than specific and limited commuting routes, light rail isn't really the way most would want to get around the Phoenix area. It does hit a few important nodes like downtown, PHX Sky Harbor airport, and AZ State area of Tempe. However other than Mill Ave in Tempe and the college campus area there really aren't many points of interest or particularly walkable areas that are on the line.
Downtown Scottsdale (one of the Phoenix areas brightest and most walkable spots) and vibrant areas around Camelback aren't on the line and Scottsdale probably doesn't want any part of light rail expansion service anyway. West Valley (Glendale and Uof Phx Stadium areas) isn't served by the line either. Perhaps in the future downtown Phoenix will gain more vibrancy and critical mass, and there may be more TOD (transit orientated development) along the light rail line in the distant future. However to be honest, it would really suck to live in Phoenix without car.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 08-06-2013 at 08:07 PM..
If you include all modes I think both Phoenix and Houston could give Atlanta a run for its money
No....Atlanta beats the other two in bus and rail....in fact Houston's bus ridership is very, very low for a metro/city of it's size.
Atlanta also has a much more walkable urban core than Houston and Phoenix. Compare the # of neighborhoods in Atlanta with 70+ walkscore compared to Houston and Phoenix.
Atlanta has 27 neighborhoods with 70+. Houston only has 9. Phoenix has 0.
Which would you say is easiest to live car free, all modes of public transportation included?
I've ridden buses and light rail in Phoenix but I've only ridden MARTA in Atlanta and even that was limited. But based on that limited experience I'd say definitely Atlanta if you can live in a walkable neighborhood near MARTA and also work near MARTA. The "working" part is the hardest part because Atlanta's jobs are all over and many outside the perimeter or whatever they call it. So for car free lifestyle, Atlanta offers the best choices.
But on the flipside as far being able to randomly travel throughout the city and Metro, I think that Phoenix wins that pretty easily. Phoenix is a sunbelt city, but it's on a grid. It's not really a walkable grid because traffic lights are very often a mile or two apart making city streets more like freeways. But what that does mean is that their buses are very fast. You can go long distances quickly and traffic isn't bad aside from a few areas and when crossing freeways. But if you then need to get somewhere between lights on the other side of the street you may have to walk 1-2 miles or take your life in your hands running across. The Valley Metro frequency isn't very frequent by LA standards, but they are probably as good or better than MARTA bus frequencies.
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