How's the commute to Denver? (Colorado Springs, Arvada: rent, insurance, buying a house)

[mogon]

I am subscribed to the CDOT listserv that sends out emails when there is an accident on I-25 between the Springs and Denver. No less than twice a week there is an email noting an accident that has traffic back up, usually at the Palmer Divide, around Castle Pines Parkway, or in the Greenland area. It has taken me as long as three hours to make the drive and as short as 40 minutes. Anyone commuting WILL be consistently if at the same time unpredictably delayed.

[Maynerd]

I commute from the Garden Ranch area to the Denver Federal Center. Fortunately, I only need to make the trip twice a week. Takes me about an hour and a quarter. I leave COS before 6:00, though, so I beat most of the traffic. I leave for the return trip at 3:30, again beating the bulk of the traffic. If I started the drives at 7:00 and 4:00, it would take significantly longer. I also have the flexibility to change my schedule, so that I don't make the drive when the weather's going to be bad. On a snowy, windy day, the hour-long drive can easily take 3-4 hours. Flexibility in the hours (or days)you need to be at work can make a BIG difference.

The library has books-on-CD. If you're driving on your own, this makes the trip a lot less boring. Carpooling or vanpooling is definitely in-play. You see a LOT of van-pools during the commute.

Long story short.......the COS to DEN commute isn't as bad as what a lot of people do routinely in New York or DC. It's not optimum, but it's definitely do-able, and there are thousands who do the drive daily. Good luck.

[bluescreen73]

I personally wouldn't do it - especially if he's working an 8-5. That drive could take 60-90 minutes each way on a good day and you can almost double that if there's a wreck anywhere between Castle Rock and Monument. You could probably buy a house in Bennett or Strasburg and still have a better commute into Denver - granted it's not the prettiest place to live.

[Camaris]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! We don't know for sure what a start time would be, but in his line of work it's usually very early so he'd definitely be leaving before 7am. We'd be renting for awhile, we want a chance to get to know the area well before buying, and likely when we bought it would be closer to his work. We're a family of 4 on one income, so we were considering COS because we were hoping to avoid having to live in a 2 bedroom apartment until we could buy! I completely understand how commuting affects quality of life, but we're trying to come up with a balance of quality for the whole family, with an hour of commuting being the longest I'd really want him to have to spend on the road at a stretch, the idea of occasionally being stuck on it for 2-3 one way, is definitely not good. It's too bad they don't have a high speed train from COS to Denver (of course COS would probably cease to be affordable then!). When I was younger I worked in Chicago and always commuted about 45 minutes each way, but I loved being able to sit back and relax and read as I headed home, it was a great way to decompress, driving just doesn't offer that.

[beezle1]

The FREX (Front Range Express) bus service that ran from Colorado Springs to Denver is being resurrected as 'Bustang' and will start up in July, so you do have that option.
https://www.codot.gov/travel/bustang

[Maynerd]

Originally Posted by Camaris

When I was younger I worked in Chicago and always commuted about 45 minutes each way, but I loved being able to sit back and relax and read as I headed home, it was a great way to decompress, driving just doesn't offer that.

Again, there are a couple vanpool services. The cost is a little less if you're willing to drive, but you can certainly opt to just sit, and let someone else do the driving to a Park 'n' Ride near home.

[BornintheSprings]

Originally Posted by Camaris

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! We don't know for sure what a start time would be, but in his line of work it's usually very early so he'd definitely be leaving before 7am. We'd be renting for awhile, we want a chance to get to know the area well before buying, and likely when we bought it would be closer to his work. We're a family of 4 on one income, so we were considering COS because we were hoping to avoid having to live in a 2 bedroom apartment until we could buy! I completely understand how commuting affects quality of life, but we're trying to come up with a balance of quality for the whole family, with an hour of commuting being the longest I'd really want him to have to spend on the road at a stretch, the idea of occasionally being stuck on it for 2-3 one way, is definitely not good. It's too bad they don't have a high speed train from COS to Denver (of course COS would probably cease to be affordable then!). When I was younger I worked in Chicago and always commuted about 45 minutes each way, but I loved being able to sit back and relax and read as I headed home, it was a great way to decompress, driving just doesn't offer that.

I would check out Castle Rock or Monument instead of Colorado Springs if your dead set on not living in Denver your husband's commute should be shorter. And I to wish there was a high speed rail between these cities would make life alot easier. Vanpools lack the excitement and romance of trains.

[phetaroi]

I think BornintheSprings has made a good suggestion. Just today I drove a friend from COS to the Lincoln Avenue/I-25 area. And we were talking about this series of posts.

Castle Rock (or perhaps parts of Parker might be worth looking into. Castle Rock has all the basics in terms of shopping, is close enough to Denver not to make it an unpleasantly long drive into the city, and has a new hospital.

[otowi]

It may be closer, but is Castle Rock cheaper, though? Douglas County has the highest median income in the state at nearly $100,000/yr and is in the top ten in the U.S.....

[Kar54]

My wife did the opposite for 5 years. Parker to COS via Hwy 83 every weekday. A single word of advice, "don't"! The Parker/Castle Rock areas used to be fairly affordable. I'd look for a place somewhere in Douglas County.