Car Free living in Denver (Boulder, Louisville: sales, real estate, selling a house)

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by .gif

it would be very difficult to live in the denver area without a car. i guess it could be done. the mass transit system here isn't very good but i'm sure there's worse.

I think most people on this thread are simply saying "drive less", " own one car instead of two" (disclaimer: my DH and I own 4. My DD has one of them and she has her own apt. Another is for the other DD, who will be getting an apt soon), things like that. Take the bus one day a week, walk to the Safeway instead of driving one day a week, etc.

I think the RTD is good in certain situations, depending on where you are and where you need to go.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by springsboy

Hello,
Can anyone point me to information on new stations south of Lincoln? I looked around the RTD website and only came up with some blurry pictures. I'm looking for construction timelines and where the station will be located.

Thanks,
springsboy

As far as I know, there is no EIS process underway on the stations south of Lincoln, so things may change substantially, as they have on the other FasTracks lines. However, with the early proposals, it is pretty clear that the final station will be somewhere on or near the new Ridgegate Parkway under construction by the city of Lone Tree, just southeast of Sky Ridge hospital. The hospital itself is schedule to have its own station, which would be less than half a mile from the end of the line station. Overall, the extension shouldn't be longer than about 2-3 miles or so from the existing end of line station.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by .gif

it would be very difficult to live in the denver area without a car. i guess it could be done. the mass transit system here isn't very good but i'm sure there's worse.

According to the 2000 Census, 13.86% of Denver Residences did not own a car.
14.25% of Denver Residences were non-car commuters which would include walking, biking and transit. Transit accounted for 8.75% of daily commutes. This data is before the expansion of T-Rex and the figures are higher now for transit use with the increase in fuel.

So at present there are many people in Denver, alone, using, public transit and many more which do not own cars--so living car free is possible and is being done.. The suburban cities have similar data where there are people that do not own cars and use transit. So again it is possible and is being done.

Remember many of these people are not using a car because of economics, disability and/or aging, and choice.

When, I started this thread, I was trying to show how it was possible, if the right choices were made, then it was possible to live without a car or lessen the use of a car by making choices of where to live. Of course there are areas where one would live, that being carfree was not possible; because of job and family demands would make it difficult and areas where it would be not possible to go without a car. But these are part of choices.

The Regional Transportation District Bus System is considered excellent for the extensive system and now is leading the future with commuter rail. The funding by voters for fastrack is viewed as a model by many other cities that are looking to expand the mass transit system and is the largest planned building of a commuter rail system in the nation.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by springsboy

Hello,
Can anyone point me to information on new stations south of Lincoln? I looked around the RTD website and only came up with some blurry pictures. I'm looking for construction timelines and where the station will be located.

Thanks,
springsboy

This line will be the last of the fastrack to be completed and it is scheduled for the end of 2016. The EIS will not begin until early 2008. As far as the station locations that is still not clear but the proposal is for three stations south of Lincoln. This information can be found at FasTracks Home

[sunny13]

Hi, I never learned how to drive and I get around just fine.I just moved to Denver after living in Boulder for 30 years.I grew up in NYC. It can be done.I am thrilled that I don't have a car to support.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by sunny13

Hi, I never learned how to drive and I get around just fine.I just moved to Denver after living in Boulder for 30 years.I grew up in NYC. It can be done.I am thrilled that I don't have a car to support.

You are my type of person. I know that Boulder is very easy to live without a car and I think Denver is getting better. Thanks for Sharing.

[livecontent]

Today it was a crystal clear day in Denver; I had a medical appointment. So, I took three buses to get the the clinic in Denver.

I took a local bus to the Park n' Ride; It was filled with African Americans, Mexican Americans, Cowboy Americans, Construction Americans, Lunch Pail Americans, Girl Americans, Cell Phone Eared Americans, Elderly Americans, Children Americans, Asian Americans, Boy Americans, Baby Americans, Disabled Americans and me.

From the Park N' Ride I took a Regional Bus to Downtown, the bus was filled with, in addition to the other bus, Business Americans, Office Worker Americans, Traveling Americans, Student Americans, Reading Americans, Blue Collar Americans and me.

From the Park N' Ride, I took another local bus it was filled with, in addition to the other buses, Indian Americans, Sick Americans, Street Walker Americans, Lost Americans, Love Bird Americans, Gay Americans, Almost Americans, Wishing to be Americans, Lonely Americans, Stoned Americans, Inebriated Americans, Ma and Pop Americans, Husband and Wife Americans and me.

I arrived at the medical clinic, safe and secure, in like with the people of Denver and My City.

Get out of your Car and See the Real America. Ride a Bus with me. Today it was a crystal clear day in Denver.

Livecontent

[gpraceman]

Did the bus thing while growing up and hated it. Often takes 3 times as long to get where you want to go and some of the people you bump into are the dregs of society. For me, I'm glad to have a car. To each his own.

[Carrie_Blair]

Great Post, LiveContent! Thanks for spending the time to give us all the great tips and insight on mass transit. I found it very informative!

[oberon]

I agree with pittnurse (again).

If I commuted to Boulder, Denver, Aurora, or other areas with high concentrations of RTD service I'd probably use them. But I commute to Longmont and don't have easy access to the L bus. Unfortunately, taking RTD to work for me would take about three times as long as driving, and still more than twice as long if I drove to the nearest park-n-ride served by the L bus. That represents a pretty major hole in their service, as far as I'm concerned.

That said, I can't wait until Fastracks opens a train station near my house! It'll be awesome! In fact I think we didn't go far enough with it. But it's a good start.

From my perspective, real cities have well-developed mass transit. I've been to Chicago, San Francisco, and Zurich, all of which have excellent mass transit, at least compared to most American cities including Denver. They were a pleasure to use to get around.

You know, once in a while, it wouldn't hurt to "bump into the dregs of society".