Car Free living in Denver (Arvada, Boulder: college, restaurants, dangerous)

[livecontent]

There is a little realized part of the transit system in Denver that would help more people to use their cars less--It is called Transit/Tranfer Center
http://www.rtd-denver.com/TransitCenters.shtml

"A transit/transfer center is a station or transit hub where many RTD services and routes come together, making it easy for passengers to travel all over the metro area..."

These are in addition to the many Park n' Rides and Rail Stations but do include some of these. Most of them are bus transfer areas where many buses arrive at the same location and many have timed transfers, so that the connecting bus will not leave until the other route arrives.

What this gives us, as transit riders, is more points to make connections. Many of these connections are just as good, or better, than living near a commuter rail station. I like them because many exist near central shopping and business areas that have many services. So, you can live in a walkable distance of these areas and have access to multiple buses around stores that you shop.

The one that appeals to me is the 38th and Youngfield transfer station. It is in the great little neighborhood of Applewood, where Wheat Ridge, Golden and Lakewood meet. Now, the tranfer station is nothing fancy and it is mostly a bunch of bus shelters and stops cluster together. In this case it is on the western edge of the Wallmart Parking Lot. But, it serves the purpose. In this shopping center is a King Soopers, banks, stores, restaurants etc. and you have five buses serving this location that branch out into different directions.

There are other ones that I have used over the years: Bear Valley, Yale and Sheridan--in front of the King Soopers. Four buses serve this area. Lakewood Commons is also nice and is near the Lakewood City Hall, Library, a King Soopers, more stores, and across the street from Belmar.

I gave you the link to this service. You can explore and pull up an aerial map. If you are looking to live car free and car less, perhaps living near many of these areas will help you. They may even be better than living near transit stations as many are more relaxed established neighborhoods.

I think one of the best that will be heavily used will be when they complete the Street at Southglenn at Arapahoe and University in Centennial. It is now labeled Race/Davies on the website. It does not look like much but the area is under construction. It is served by 4 buses.

When Southglenn Mall was fully operational, many years ago, it was nice and there was a King Soopers across the street to east on University. You had the mall and basic shopping. I seem to point the way toward King Soopers but I think they are a good basic shopping stores and they gather a good mix of stores around them. Now, I know some of you like Whole Foods and yes, they are also in many of these transfer stations--so you can have many good neighborhoods to live.

Oh, I am really jealous of chilicheesefries and his family. They picked a really great area to live in Centennial near this Streets at Southglenn. It is always nice to hear that a young family made a great choice. And that is what it is about, making better choices of places to live. You do not have to be totally car free, but to have the options to use a auto less by walking and have access to transit, if the need arises, is wise.

Livecontent

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by livecontent

I think one of the best that will be heavily used will be when they complete the Street at Southglenn at Arapahoe and University in Centennial. It is now labeled Race/Davies on the website. It does not look like much but the area is under construction. It is served by 4 buses.

When Southglenn Mall was fully operational, many years ago, it was nice and there was a King Soopers across the street to east on University. You had the mall and basic shopping. I seem to point the way toward King Soopers but I think they are a good basic shopping stores and they gather a good mix of stores around them. Now, I know some of you like Whole Foods and yes, they are also in many of these transfer stations--so you can have many good neighborhoods to live.

Oh, I am really jealous of chilicheesefries and his family. They picked a really great area to live in Centennial near this Streets at Southglenn. It is always nice to hear that a young family made a great choice. And that is what it is about, making better choices of places to live. You do not have to be totally car free, but to have the options to use a auto less by walking and have access to transit, if the need arises, is wise.

Livecontent

Livecontent - we got lucky there. Southglenn was still open when we moved there and didn't have plans to tear down and build the Streets yet. One thing that makes the neighborhoods hear more walkable/liveable is that off Arapahoe Rd. & Dry Creek Rds. on both north and south sides are 1-2 block long loops, where the circle comes off the main street and goes down a few blocks and then loops back. It seems to be very unique to the area. Really cuts down on traffic. What makes it nice is that on the end of these loops are 'cut-throughs' for bike/pedestrian traffic. This makes it easy to walk places w/o walking along Arapahoe Rd or Dry Creek Rd. This increases the walkability. Also, Littleton Public School playgrounds are open use parks after school hours, so that gives more parks.

As far as I know, there was never a King Soopers east side of University, only the Safeway which closed less than a year ago that was there. That's my memory stretching back into the 80's. The King Soopers at Arapahoe & Holly and Dry Creek & University are both fairly old too.

[FrozenShores]

Wow, cool idea with the ped cut-throughs at the end of the loops! That's usually what kills me about suburbia when you walk or ride down a street only to hit a dead-end and have to turn back around. I wouldn't mind a few more neighborhoods designed like this, as long as there is some mixed-use development nearby to serve them.

[woob]

I mentioned this in a previous post talking about the Riverpointe development in Sheridan with Costco & SuperTarget. They're about 1-2 city blocks apart, but the parking lot is huge and not pedestrian friendly at all

I had my first (mis)adventure in car free living yesterday involving this plaza. I planned to ride my bike down the south platte bike path to the target and then take the lightrail back up to alameda. I ended up wandering lost around a huge, empty expanse of parking lot trying to figure out exactly where the station was. When I finally identified it, I found myself stuck on the other side of I25 without anyway to cross. I was directly in front of the station but without anyway to get there. So close, but so far. I ended up having to ride home in a wind and dust storm. This development seems like a terrible use of land so close to both a major light rail station and bike path. It is pretty much impossible to shop at costco without a car. I will stick to my local markets from now on.

[yodi]

Originally Posted by woob

I had my first (mis)adventure in car free living yesterday involving this plaza. I planned to ride my bike down the south platte bike path to the target and then take the lightrail back up to alameda. I ended up wandering lost around a huge, empty expanse of parking lot trying to figure out exactly where the station was. When I finally identified it, I found myself stuck on the other side of I25 without anyway to cross. I was directly in front of the station but without anyway to get there. So close, but so far. I ended up having to ride home in a wind and dust storm. This development seems like a terrible use of land so close to both a major light rail station and bike path. It is pretty much impossible to shop at costco without a car. I will stick to my local markets from now on.

I agree, the Riverpoint Sheridan was very poorly designed. It's difficult to get there on foot or bike since you have to either cross Santa Fe or 285. Heck, I'm not even so sure I'd want to walk from Target to Costco which is just across the gigantic parking lot. I have no idea why they thought they needed such and enormous area for parking. It's pretty ridiculous.

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by yodi

I agree, the Riverpoint Sheridan was very poorly designed. It's difficult to get there on foot or bike since you have to either cross Santa Fe or 285. Heck, I'm not even so sure I'd want to walk from Target to Costco which is just across the gigantic parking lot. I have no idea why they thought they needed such and enormous area for parking. It's pretty ridiculous.

I'm not sure why they did that. Between the 2 they have what looks like a covered train station and a stop sign in the parking lot, but there is nothing there!

You don't want to walk from Target to Costco. It is dangerous to your health. We had gone to Target and had the twins in their stroller so we thought maybe it is easier for me to walk them to Costco rather than interrupt them and put them in their car seats for such a short walk. Turns out there are no sidewalks from the front of Target to the front of Costco. You have to walk across the parking lot almost to the street (Riverpoint Pkwy) and there are sidewalks by the stores right by the street. The whole time you are walking across non-walker friendly parking lot. Then some idiot driving a white car blows by, missing us by a few feet, nearly hitting another car and then the car my wife was driving. Then you would have to walk across the 'lanes' that lead from the street to the front of the stores. Repeat several times, walk back across the parking lot and then you're at Costco. Needless to say we didn't make it.

[yodi]

There are few things more frustrating then dealing with idiot reckless drivers when you are a pedestrian walking with your children. I had a similar experience in that same parking lot.

At least some of the land to build Riverpoint Sheridan was acquired through eminent domain. Maybe the bad design can be blamed in part to bad karma. Any law which allows allows the state to seize private property without the owner's consent has to have some kind of consequence, right?

[myrab]

Thank you so much for starting and maintaining this thread livecontent. Good public transit is one of the most significant criteria in selecting a city to relocate to.

Most helpful.

[myrab]

Originally Posted by livecontent

I resurrected this thread to have the current readers to think more about using their cars less. I wanted to describe honestly about a bus trip but the muses took over and I good a little poetic. I wanted to say that the buses were more crowded than I ever saw and I having been using them for years as a full paying customer.

I should tell you about the "dregs" of society. If you have read my post, you know I am disabled, and sometimes I can look it, sometimes not. I have to use sometimes "the stick", as my niece calls it, to walk when it becomes more difficult. I could have taken the Access a Ride Bus for the disabled to be picked up and transported to my destination for $3.00. However, on days that a person feels better then you can take any bus for free. Yes, I could have driven but taking the bus gives me much needed exercise--and it was such a crystal clear day in Denver.

My lonely part of my trip was returning from downtown on the express bus, during rush hour to one of the park and rides---I have noticed the more educated people are, the more they want to be isolated from each other, and that is where you get more of the intentional "non look" and the severe expressions, saying to me "go away" we do not acknowledge you. "You better not sit by me", "I am not moving over, my bag is on the seat--move on" "Do not shake your palsy hands in front of me", "Get your stick out of my way" I see it all in their expressions. Some educated and well off people want conformity and do not want to see anything but their pristine perfect lives and I see it, I perceive it, and I cry for them, because of it. These are in my words "The Perfects" vs, "The Dregs"

In taking a bus with the other "dregs", some people talk to me, they smile and most important people acknowledge my existence. Many are lonely, aged, want to be heard, and see me as a safe person. I do see the same behavior as the "perfects" but much less of it--maybe the "dregs" in seeing differences gives them an immunity.

Yet, there is a much kindness you see and feel, in both "perfects" and "dreg" but many time you have to look to perceive. Some people in both groups do not want to move out of their self-perceived conformity.

We are all "dregs". We are all "perfects". As our body and mind changes, we move from the perfect innocent child to the dregs of aged infirmity. "All Dregs" were at one time "perfects" and try and succeed to be "perfects' again. Some "perfects" were, in their life struggle "dregs" and may become "dregs" sooner then when they are old.

So "perfects" be aware that your comfortable conformity can change suddenly--it did for me.

livecontent

I love this post and I love this thread! Thank you livecontent. That "dregs" crack really rubbed me the wrong way, and you addressed it with far more substance and philosophy and wisdom and poetry than I ever could.

[myrab]

Originally Posted by MobyLL

Hey livecontent, the only problem i have with what you post is this:

I applaud you for taking steps to live what you believe.

I have the same problem.