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Old 07-05-2008, 12:14 PM
 
9 posts, read 31,790 times
Reputation: 11

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I'm considering a move to Denver with my boyfriend, and we really only want to bring his car, a Chevy Cobalt.

How walkable/bikeable is Denver? And how is the public transport?

I'm from Memphis, and they talk about the great trolley line and there are buses, but neither of those are a real option for a skinny 5'1" girl - the trolley takes too long and is very limiting, and the buses aren't safe.

Thanks for any feedback!
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Old 07-05-2008, 12:37 PM
 
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It depends on where you live, work, & play. Livecontent has made some great posts about this issue. Try these links for starting your research...

Walkable Communities in Denver

Car Free Living in Denver

Looking for Something Like This
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Old 07-05-2008, 05:48 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,193,363 times
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I will add, the buses are safe, as is the Light Rail. At times, getting from Point "A" to Point "B" can take a while, if you have to transfer. If it is extremely important to commute to work by public transportation, research that before you buy/rent.
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Old 07-05-2008, 10:35 PM
 
164 posts, read 593,850 times
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Default easily walkable and bikeable if in the right place

Quote:
Originally Posted by Whitney_H View Post
I'm considering a move to Denver with my boyfriend, and we really only want to bring his car, a Chevy Cobalt.

How walkable/bikeable is Denver? And how is the public transport?

I'm from Memphis, and they talk about the great trolley line and there are buses, but neither of those are a real option for a skinny 5'1" girl - the trolley takes too long and is very limiting, and the buses aren't safe.

Thanks for any feedback!
Well, alot of this depends on YOU. Where are you looking at living? Downtown denver is VERY walkable and bikeable. If you're north of I-70 or maybe east of federal it's a bit tougher but definitely doable. It kind of depends on your constitution.....how hard do you want to make it happen? There's a man at my work who bikes 18 miles each way to work....very inspiring and a bit masochistic.
But, the city itself is easily bikeable, with minimal hills. It's also very dry so this means your bike won't get gunked up as easily as I'd imagine in Memphis. Plus, any sweat you might generate will evaporate much more quickly since the air is so dry. I really like biking here and have few problems. But riding sensibly is key- no expecting drivers to see you or move for you. I don't notice more road rage but it's out there. The more you do it the better you will be and you'll develop effective riding strategies and routes. There are paved bike trails that go pretty far, and there are a good amount of marked bike lanes. I think you can take bikes on the light rail and the buses do have racks on the front.

The city is also very walkable. I don't exactly understand what you mean by this, but you can walk around and the streets are simply organized with few dead ends. The bus service on arterial streets is good. This means you can get by w/one car. If not there's a million used ones around. still, if you live in the right place, there should be almost no problem. But if you're unwilling to be flexible there could be a catch or two. Don't move to say 22nd and Dahlia and expect to have this sort of convenience. Colfax, Broadway, Colorado blvd all have frequent bus svc.(but it's probably a bit disconcerting for you). I'm unfamiliar with major streets beyond these, but search for RTD and you should come up w/maps and times for transit service. The light rail is pretty slick and if you have a regular schedule and live near a station this should come in handy.

Denver's great, and it's easy to make it happen if you want it.
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Old 07-05-2008, 11:08 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,193,363 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by icewater View Post
Denver's great, and it's easy to make it happen if you want it.
I agree about 98%! The RTD just started service to Avista Hospital in Louisville the end of June. So if you've been working there, you've been pretty much limited to driving. Some trips require transfers and so forth and can take much longer than driving a car. An example of this is the trip from Louisville Middle School to my house. It took my daughter about 45 min to go portal to portal 1.6 miles. And that was with no transfer! Waiting time, the walk home from the bus stop, (about 1/4 mile in this case) the circuitous route the bus takes as opposed to driving from point A to point B, all add time. Still, the service is great for the most part. To reiterate, if you are going to be the one riding the RTD, I would suggest finding a place to live relatively close to the busline to your work.
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Old 07-05-2008, 11:15 PM
 
1,176 posts, read 4,466,735 times
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Generally the city is very rideable / bussable. Don't let Katiana turn you off to the fact.
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Old 07-05-2008, 11:19 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,193,363 times
Reputation: 35920
Quote:
Originally Posted by steveindenver View Post
Generally the city is very rideable / bussable. Don't let Katiana turn you off to the fact.
I wasn't trying to turn her off! Geez! I have repeatedly said, in post after post, including two on this thread, that the bus service is good and safe. I'm just referring to a few realities of the situation. Here are a few of my posts about RTD.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/3887500-post5.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/3678850-post87.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/4259658-post101.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/4234835-post47.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/3670808-post83.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/1064523-post16.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/3165622-post143.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/2615581-post10.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/2448554-post6.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/1666430-post9.html

Last edited by Katarina Witt; 07-05-2008 at 11:52 PM.. Reason: Add posts, duplicate post, found another
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Old 07-06-2008, 12:47 PM
 
9 posts, read 31,790 times
Reputation: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by icewater View Post
The city is also very walkable. I don't exactly understand what you mean by this, but you can walk around and the streets are simply organized with few dead ends.
Memphis isn't as walkable because the downtown is tiny and there isn't anything there - no market/grocery store for residents even! You HAVE to drive to Midtown for that. Midtown is ok in little sections but there aren't even good sidewalks for people to follow. Everything in this town is organized in such a way that it's extremely difficult to bike or walk anywhere - not to mention the drivers think they own the road and WILL hit you.

This is what I'm NOT looking for!

And thanks to everyone for all the feedback! Katiana and formercalifornian, I will check out those links. I appreciate your time!
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Old 07-09-2008, 08:28 PM
 
Location: Lower East Side, Milwaukee, WI
2,943 posts, read 5,044,180 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Whitney_H View Post
Memphis isn't as walkable because the downtown is tiny and there isn't anything there - no market/grocery store for residents even!
Denver has good public transportation.

No grocery stores downtown. Just lots of restaurants and bars.
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Old 07-09-2008, 09:30 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,193,363 times
Reputation: 35920
There is a King Soopers that while not right in downtown, is pretty close. Speer and something.
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